The Young Bride
by missbot
Summary: This story takes place many years after The Final Act and the only thing I changed is that Rin continued with Lord Sesshomaru after the jewel was destroyed instead of staying in the village. Rin is an adolescent now and Sesshomaru makes a decision that will be hard for the both of them when he realizes she needs to live among humans and take a human mate.
1. C1: Following Him

(Unnecessary disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.)

Chapter 1: Following Him

Silence. It was something she had become used to in all of her years with her Lord and Master. He was a tall and beautiful creature with lily white skin and amber eyes. His nobility shone through his elegant dress and armor. He was strong, yet always seemed to be able to keep his calm demeanor. That is, almost always. He was the great dog demon Lord that watched over the Western Lands. Time did not phase his magnificent beauty, like it would to her someday.

" _I will follow you to the end, My Lord.. Sesshomaru"_ She thought as she gazed at his figure walking ahead of her. She was a tall and thin girl with olive skin and wild black hair that flowed everywhere.

"Rin, you dawdling child, pick up your feet! You are slowing us down, again!" cried the little green toad demon that accompanied them.

He was a loud, unattractive, and bossy creature but Rin had come to love him as a child loves their nagging mother. It had been many years since she began traveling with him and their Lord but she had become accustomed to his chastising. Lord Sesshomaru was not much of a parental type so it was usually up to Jaken to make sure she was taught this from that, which made him sometimes unpleasant. But, he almost always had her best interest in mind, and that was enough for her. Although she was 13 now, and paid less heed to him than she had when she was small, which made the little old demon angry.

"Master Jaken" she addressed the toad. "Might I been born with wheels for feet, I could go as fast as you wish." She made sure her tone was sarcastic and defiant. She pulled the sleeve of her rosy pink kimono over her mouth, to hide her smile.

"Impossible child! Spoiled brat!" Jaken chastised.

" _This girl shall be the end of me."_ He thought. Jaken was not mislead in his beliefs that his Lord had spoiled his human companion over the years. Every time she grew out of a kimono, a new, more splendid one would take its place. _Every year on the same day she would awake to find a gift on her lap. "My Lord, isn't this the day I found you in the woods?" She would ask him, to no answer. Rin would smile and graciously thank him, also to silence. Lord Sesshomaru was not one to accept gratitude or even admit to gifting._

The demon Lord broke his silence then. "It is getting late. Rin, climb upon Ah Un so we may reach our resting spot sooner."

Rin stopped in her tracks and nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

The demon lord had never had to ask the human girl anything twice since their time together began. Not out of fear, but out of admiration and respect. She climbed atop a large, fearsome dragon with two heads. One of the heads went to nuzzle her face before leaping into air. She giggled and embraced the dragon around his neck.

"I hope things are like this always, Ah Un." She whispered to the beast, holding him tight.

When they reached their destination, Rin climbed off Ah Un. A nice spot this was. There were lots of beautiful trees with blossoms, and a large body of water that steamed. She saw the hot spring and beamed. _"A bath! Perfect."_

Sesshomaru rested his body against a tree next to the water and looked blankly into the sky, as he often did. His faithful Jaken almost immediately found a nice close spot to sit for a nap. Rin removed her kimono, leaving her underclothes on as to get to the water faster, being the impatient wild thing she was. The sun was setting that moment and a quietness fell over the group. That is, until Rin took a running start into the springs and splashed water onto both Jaken and Sesshomaru.

"Rin! This is unacceptable!" cried Jaken. Sesshomaru hadn't moved at all and made no sign that he was even paying attention.

Rin blushed and hid part of her face under the water before speaking. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru…and Master Jaken." She replied.

The toad demon huffed and walked further away from the water. Sesshomaru remained unmoved and undisturbed. He seemed to have his mind on other things. And what was being wet to one such as him? He felt no discomfort.

Rin began to remove her underclothes while swimming in the water. This was the perfect opportunity to wash them. She winced as she felt a pang in her stomach regions. She had had these pangs all day long but as they were on the dull side and most likely related to bad fish, she had been ignoring them until now.

The next sound that came made Sesshomaru jump from his trance. A loud scream came from the water. It was Rin. He looked over to the water and saw blood on her underclothes as she held them in shock. She was looking under the water, there seemed to be blood flowing in the water too. Had she been bit? He leaped into the water and grabbed the naked Rin out and now was sitting next to her on the side of the springs. She dropped her underclothes on the ground and a single tear fell from her cheek.

"I am bleeding, my Lord. I don't know why."

Rin must have been naked in front of Sesshomaru a million times before as she was a child. When she was younger she would rip her kimono off and run around feeling the warm sun on her tiny body, much to the dismay of Jaken. _"Child put your clothing on at once! Nobody wants to see that!" He would shout, chasing the buck naked girl around with her clothes in his grip. One time, Rin could have sworn she heard the sound of her Lord laughing at them._ But this was different. Rin now looked embarrassed of her nudity. She covered her lower regions with her hands shamefully as a little blood trickled down her thigh. "It keeps coming," She said with her head looking down. "I wasn't bit."

Lord Sesshomaru didn't say or do anything immediately. Her thin lanky body leaned against him. He had no clue as to why she bled. He was a demon, and had no experience with humans before her, especially female humans. _"We have no choice,"_ he thought. _"I will take her to the old woman."_

Sesshomaru grabbed Rin's underclothes and told her to hold it where she bled as he wrapped her body in her kimono. He lifted her onto Ah Un before he looked over to the toad demon.

"Come, Jaken." He said. "Rin is ill. We must leave to take her to the human Kaede's village for assistance."

Thank you for reading Chapter One. More to come very soon.


	2. C2: Old Friends

(I do not own these characters)

Chapter 2: Old Friends

Kagome stepped out of her home and breathed in heavily and exhaled, smiling. The morning air was always welcoming. She brushed her long black locks with her fingers. The sun was warm this morning. Today was like any other day here in her small village. Calm and peaceful. It had not always been this way. When the Shikon jewel was in existence, it seemed to carry misery with it. Luckily, she had been able to get rid of it with the help of her friends.

"Dear Husband, do you plan to sleep all morning?" She called out sweetly, covering her bossiness with kindness. She grabbed a pot of water and started a small fire. She heard a grumble in the hut and smiled to herself.

"It's a beautiful morning, Inuyasha!" she said even louder. Footsteps followed her outside and Inuyasha lazily stumbled out. He was rubbing his head and yawning. He sat heavily on the ground next to Kagome and grumbled as she busied herself with boiling their breakfast.

" _I miss my old era sometimes."_ She thought. _"As much as I enjoy feeding Inuyasha, it would be nice for the favor to be returned sometimes. I do all the cooking and cleaning and do not get as much as a thanks. This would never fly in my time. Lazy thing he is."_

Kagome looked over to her grumbling, cranky husband and couldn't help but melt. She smiled. She couldn't seem to get the image of him being her brave warrior, protector, and companion during their journey to cast the Shikon jewel out of this world. _"I guess, after all, I wouldn't have him any other way."_

"Kagome, must you wake me up before breakfast is even ready?" he complained. Kagome's face dropped in an annoyed fashion, her eyebrows twitching.

"Inuyasha…" She sighed, frustrated.

Just then, Inuyasha stood up and sniffed the air.

"I smell my brother and he's coming fast." He said, with a hint of worry.

Lord Sesshomaru and his half demon brother Inuyasha were long past fighting each other. It was futile and they had long since recognized that. That did not mean, however, that they enjoyed each other's company. If there was a fight to be had, they were usually glad to be engage in it. The only time Sesshomaru ever came was when he needed something, or Rin was sick or injured. He hoped it wasn't the latter until he smelled Rin's blood.

"Kagome, it's Rin." he said looking concerned. Kagome stamped out the fire she was had going and looked to Inuyasha just as Sesshomaru went flying overhead. They saw Rin with him, looking tired and distressed.

"They will be heading to Kaede's." Kagome responded and they both traveled quickly.

When they finally made it to the hut of Old Kaede, Sesshomaru and Jaken were waiting outside, both sitting patiently beside Ah Un.

"Sesshomaru, is something wrong with young Rin?" Kagome asked, concerned.

The demon Lord remained silent and let the toad Jaken speak for him.

"You humans are so fragile. Anything and everything make you ill." He said obnoxiously and nodded to himself. "It doesn't seem serious, if that's what you are asking. Hardly worth the overnight trip to get here and the delay in our journeys!"

SMACK! Sesshomaru had let Jaken know it was time to quit speaking. The toad demon groaned in a frustrated manner.

Just then, Sango exited the hut with a smile on her face and her hand on her big, pregnant belly. Miroku was doing a fine job bedding his wife, as she already had four children and another on the way. Kagome was having a hard time remembering what Sango looked like not being with child.

Sesshomaru looked over to Sango and then heard the sounds of joy coming from the hut, but they weren't coming from Rin. They were coming from the old woman. _"What illness could Rin have that could possibly be happy?" He thought._

"Sango, how is Rin?" exclaimed Kagome.

Sango let out a light hearted laugh and nodded to both Lord Sesshomaru then to the others. "Lord Sesshomaru, it is nice to see you again. I think our dear Rin will be just fine."

Sesshomaru turned his head away from them, as expected. No one ever really expected him to speak unless it was absolutely necessary.

The old woman Kaede walked out of the hut and threw her hands up in the air, a smile on her face. She was much older now and had a hard time walking at a good pace, but she was much more active than anybody else her age. Kaede looked at the crowd in front of her and let out a small sound of joy.

"Ah! Lord Sesshomaru, please, may I speak to you in private, lest we embarrass the poor Rin?" she asked.

"If that is your wish…" he said blankly, following her into the hut.

Sango approached Kagome and whispered something into her ear and Kagome let out a hearty laugh. Inuyasha had leaned in and heard the fuss and sighed. "Is that what this is all about?" He complained. "Let's go get some food. Sango! You hungry? We were about to have some breakfast."

"What? What are you all so secretive about it for? What are you talking about? Hey, don't walk away without answering me!" Jaken screeched as everybody walked away from him chattering amongst one another.

Sesshomaru was seated across the table from Kaede. He sat up tall and regally, as he normally did. No expression in his face yet the old woman knew behind that cool demeanor was worry and confusion.

"Lord Sesshomaru, she is in the other room. She is fine. Our young Rin is just experiencing changes in her body and is officially on her journey to becoming a woman. It is her body's way of telling her she will in the near future, be able to produce children if she so chooses."

He felt a pang of embarrassment for both himself and for his young companion, although his face did not show it. _"How could I not have known? No, it is not my business to know these things. I've never meant to know these things. I didn't care to know how humans work. But yet, I still chose Rin as a companion, while being ignorant to how her kind works."_

"I am not one to make bold statements, Lord Sesshomaru, but I think very soon you and young Rin will have a decision to make. She may one day decide it is time to be among humans once again. She is growing rather quickly."

Those words. He was being willfully ignorant of this possibility. "If that is what she decides, I will be glad that she returns to humankind... But she will not."

Kaede knew not to expect any verbal gratitude for seeing Rin, Sesshomaru merely placed his monetary payment and began to rise.

"Very well, then, Lord Sesshomaru. I will see that she is ready for you in a few minutes. But I do hope that you will stay for even just a day, we are fond of Rin, also and like her company. You do not bring her back but when she is ill."

"Suit yourself, we will stay this day."


	3. C3: Humankind

(I do not own characters, duhhhh)

Chapter 3: Humankind

" _I'm so lost. I don't want to change. I want things to stay the same as they are now. But the old woman Kaede says I am changing, whether I want to or not. She says I am becoming a woman. No! This can't be true. I always hoped that time would freeze that way I could spend forever with Lord Sesshomaru. Forever…"_

Rin slumped onto her back in the tall grass. She did not wish to speak to anyone yet. Her Lord hadn't seen her yet since they had come to this village. She snuck off to be by herself, mostly out of confusion and embarrassment. The wind blew her hair around as she sighed to herself.

"Rin! Rin?" called a familiar voice. It was Inuyasha's mate. Rin lifted herself into a sitting position. Kagome was one of the few humans that she really took a liking to. It wasn't that she didn't like the others. But she has always felt a kinship with her. Maybe it was merely that her Lord was Kagome's brother-in-law. Anyways, it didn't matter. Rin was delighted to see Kagome.

"Kagome! Over here. I've missed you!" Rin said standing and waving her arms. Kagome hurried her feet until she met Rin with a big embrace.

"I've missed you, Rin. I'm so glad that you guys are staying the night. We have so much catching up to do!" Kagome smiled.

"We are?" Rin looked embarrassed. She was happy to be spending the night with her friends but didn't exactly like the reason they had come. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked down. "I guess I would have known if I hadn't snuck off."

Kagome put a hand on Rin's. "It's okay, Rin. We've all been there. Sango and I had to go through the same thing. You will be fine." She grasped the young girl's hands and started walking away with her. "Now, come. All of your friends would like to see you."

When they returned to the village, they came to Miroku and Sango's hut. Inuyasha was already there arguing with Miroku over something or other. When they saw Kagome entering with Rin in tow, they immediately stopped and stood up. Sango was the first to embrace Rin.

"Rin, I didn't get to greet you properly before. I'm so glad you're here!" She hugged Rin tight and Rin could feel her big belly between them and put a hand on it, smiling.

"Sango! I didn't get to congratulate you two, yet." Rin replied, looking over to Miroku who was heading towards her.

"Rin, what a lovely young lady you've become!" the shameless flatterer said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"How you doing, kid?" Inuyasha smiled in her direction. He never really understood the relationship between his human-despising brother and the little human girl that stood before him but he had come to accept it for whatever reason.

The group all sat down in a circle to chat. Rin wished deeply that Lord Sesshomaru would join her in socializing when they came to the village, which didn't happen very often. But she knew better than to ask him. Her Lord was not a socialite and would still scoff at the mention of hanging around with his half-demon brother and his human friends. But Rin enjoyed these moments very much. It was nice to be around people who were like her in a lot of ways. She had some strange ways about her, as she traveled with her silent demon Lord and a smothering toad, but the group here accepted her with no questions. Which made her very happy when she came here.

"So how are things going, Rin? Anything new and exciting?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing really other than traveling a lot." She said scratching her head. She liked being a nomad. She never knew where she was going to wake up next sometimes.

The group continued to catch up and joke around for what seemed like hours.

Meanwhile, the demon Lord was by the lake sitting atop a branch on a tree. Sesshomaru could smell Inuyasha on the tree and thought it must be a spot he regularly visits. It was a nice view. He stared into the lake, in deep thought as Jaken napped under the tree.

" _Rin"_ He thought. _"Will there come a day you no longer wish to follow me? Would you be happier amongst your own kind? Why can't I seem to accept.."_

He nodded to himself, knowing what he must do. _"I will allow her this experience, whether or not she wants it."_

"Lord Sesshomaru?" He heard a voice call soon after. It was Rin.

He jumped down from the tree and his loyal girl ran to him with a huge smile on her face. She stopped in front of him and began to speak.

"My Lord! I do wish you would join next time. I love the company of friends and allies. They are so nice." She said clapping her hands together before she realized he was staring deeply at her. She stopped talking altogether and waited for him to speak.

"Rin, I wish to speak with you."

"Y-yes, my Lord?" She asked, now nervous.

He turned and walked into the direction of an open field and sat down on the ground. Rin followed him with her head down. _"I bet it's about earlier today. The last thing I want to talk about is that."_

She kneeled on the ground beside him. It was now dark and the stars shone brightly on them as they sat there in silence. The silence seemed to last an eternity as Sesshomaru took a while to speak.

"Rin, I wish for you to stay here in Kaede's village for a little while." He stated. It was a very final thought. There would be no persuading him otherwise.

Sesshomaru watched as Rin's small frame slumped and shook. He knew she couldn't stand to be away from him. He was everything to her. He tried to look away, he didn't want to see the tears that were going to come. She almost never cried, but he had never left her for more than a couple days so he had expected this reaction.

"It'll only be for a few months. You will pass the time by interacting with the other people here and trying to become more acquainted with the humans you have been kept from." He stated sternly.

Rin lifted her head finally, her tear-stained cheeks glowed red. She did not like crying in front of Sesshomaru, because it shown her weakness, which she strived not to because of his example. She had forced a smile onto her face.

"Yes, my Lord. When should I expect your return?" She said, her words shaky from the overflow of emotions.

"Five months from this day, I will return to this village. But you must spend the time interacting with other humans. Do you understand?"

"I understand, my Lord..." Rin said as she wiped away her tears and took a deep breath in, stopping her crying. She crawled over to be in front of him and looked up at him. He was sitting cross-legged and looking up at the stars.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru blinked and looked at the pathetic display in front of him. The young girl crawling close to him and looking as if she wanted to say something.

"May I sleep here tonight, my Lord?" She asked meekly. He knew what she meant. This was to be the last night for a while she could be near him and she wanted to be as close as possible to him.

He nodded and she gently made her way around and put her head on his lap and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru looked down at her and then back up to the stars in thought. _"This will be for the best."_

" _I do not know why you want me to stay for so long, my Lord. But I will do anything for you."_ Rin thought before she dozed off in her Lord's lap. His warm body comforted her. She wished morning would never come.

But alas, morning did come. Rin had become more accepting of the idea at this point. _"Five months isn't that long… He will be back in no time!"_

Sesshomaru exited the old woman Kaede's hut as Rin and Jaken waited for him outside. Kaede followed him out with a big grin on her face. Rin had been dreading this very moment but fought hard to hide her sadness.

"Rin, I have arranged for you to stay with Kaede for the time being. You must do as she says." He said, folding his arms into his sleeves and looking to Rin.

"Yes, my Lord." She said, bowing her head.

"Rin will be just fine." said Kaede, wrapping her arms around the girls shoulders, in a comforting way.

"Let's go, Jaken." Lord Sesshomaru said, sweeping past everyone without another word.

"Now, stay out of trouble, child!" Jaken said before hopping onto Ah Un.

Rin watched as they flew off and didn't stop looking until all of them were out of sight. Her hands shook. But she did not cry. She wanted to be strong for him.

"Come child, let's get some food in you. You've had a rough morning." Kaede said gently leading Rin back into her hut.

" _Please don't forget to come back for me.. Please, Lord Sesshomaru.."_


	4. C4: Human life and Heartbreak

Chapter 4: Human life and Heartbreak

It had been a couple months already being amongst Inuyasha and the others and Rin was already used to the routine... and liked it! She had helped Kaede with her work and learned how to clean and take care of the home, which is something foreign to her as there never really was a home. Lord Sesshomaru, Jaken, and Rin were always on the move and to the next location. There wasn't much settling down to be had. She liked her life traveling but was enjoying being in one location for a longer period of time.

Kagome and Sango were like sisters to her and always invited her with them for meetings at the river or for tea. Rin enjoyed chatting with them and was learning new words that she had never heard spoken before, as her Lord didn't speak much and Jaken wasn't much of a teacher. Sango's children looked to Rin as if she was the most interesting person alive. She told them stories about her adventures with Lord Sesshomaru and they would laugh and cheer. Her friends had even thrown her a small party when she turned fourteen, which left her speechless. There was no shortage of things to do and people to see here.

Rin was cleaning Kaede's hut one afternoon when she heard Sango squeal from all the way across the village. _"Hm? I wonder what has her so excited?"_ Rin wiped her eyebrow and stood up to exit the hut. The young girl walked towards where Sango was yelling with joy and she had somebody in her embrace.

"Kohaku!" Rin said aloud and slowly walked over to greet him. As she walked closer to him, she studied him. _"He's a man now."_ She thought. He was tall and muscular and his boyhood smile had turned into a handsome grin.

She wrapped her arms around him and sighed "It's been so long."

Kohaku returned her embrace. He had barely even recognized her. She was a young lady now. "Rin, you're the last person I expected to see on my visit. I'm very glad to see you and to see that you are well."

Rin released her embrace and took a step back to look at him. He was so.. she couldn't find the words for it. She had never felt this feeling before. It was like a warm feeling that made its way from her stomach to her lower regions. All she knew is she wanted to be around him so she could look at him.

"Yes, Rin is going to be with us for the next three months or so. We're so glad you made the trip over. You must visit more than twice a year! Your sister misses you very badly. I do too." Miroku had been standing by Sango.

"Sorry I've been so busy with work these past few years. You know how it is." Kohaku replied. He kept looking over to Rin. She was no longer a small child, she was a young lady. And quite a young lady at that. She was sweaty from her day of chores, but she was still very lovely. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

Rin realized they had been standing around awkwardly for a over a minute and spoke first. "Oh, I must be getting back to finish my chores for the day. And you must have time with Sango. But… would you like to get together later on to catch up, maybe?" Rin asked, blushing slightly.

"Sure thing. I'll stop by later and we can take a walk." Kohaku smiled and his sister took him away to chat.

" _Why does he look so appealing to me?"_ Rin thought to herself. _"He certainly is very nice to look at."_ She turned on her heel and headed back to finish her cleaning.

Miroku lead his brother-in-law into his family's home and the kids swamped him immediately. "Uncle Kohaku!" they screamed in joy. Kohaku picked them all up in one fell swoop and held them tightly, much to Sango's delight.

"Uncle has brought a gift!" Kohaku said, pulling out of his bag a small bag of funny colored rocks and gems he had collected. The children thanked him and began to play amongst themselves. Miroku sat down across from Kohaku with a funny grin stained onto his face. Kohaku hasn't seen this grin before.

"I see you are thrilled with our visitor." Miroku said, nodding his head. He hadn't failed to see the moment between Rin and Kohaku. Kohaku immediately blushed. He didn't want to admit anything.

"I don't know what you could be talking about. I was just happy to see her. I haven't seen her since she was a child." He replied, scratching his neck. Miroku had been a womanizer for a long time and knew what he was talking about.

"I see."

Rin was busy at Kaede's hut dumping water over herself and scrubbing her skin to make sure she smelled nice. She scrubbed harder than she ever had before and Kaede took notice.

"Dear Child, you will rub the skin right off." She said, entering the bathing area. Rin stopped rubbing and began to brush her wet locks. Kaede gently grabbed the brush from Rin and had Rin sit down in front of her. She began to brush through Rins hair and smiled.

"There is a boy." Kaede said, in a very light tone. She twirled Rin's hair

"How did you know? Kohaku wants to take a walk with me this evening. He is so different from how I rememeber." Rin wondered how Kaede knew.

Kaede laughed softly and brushed her fingers over Rin's face. "I was a young girl, too, you know. Just because I am a priestess does not mean I did not take notice to the beauty of men."

Rin was still very confused but was excited at the same time. She took Kaede's hand and held it on her shoulder for a couple minutes before standing up to find her underclothes and kimono. She picked her cleanest one and threw it on before a knock was heard outside of the hut.

"Coming, Kohaku!" Rin called.

"Don't stay out too late, dear Rin." Kaede called sweetly as Rin exited out the door.

Kohaku looked at the young lady before him and choked up for a minute. Rin walked over to him and smiled a big smile. He was taller than her by a foot at least, but then again he was older than her. They began to walk away from the hut together.

"So how is Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken?" Kohaku asked, not knowing what else to say.

"He is Lord Sesshomaru. Nobody really knows how he is. But I assume he's fine. Jaken is well, but as naggy as usual." She replied with a smile. "What have you been up to?"

They came to the bridge above the river and they stopped to look over at it.

"Just been working by myself as a demon slayer. It's a very taxing job but someone must do it."

"You are very brave, Kohaku." She said, as she looked up at him. She remembered back to when Kohaku was traveling with her and Lord Sesshomaru and how he had protected her in those times.

They began to exchange stories of their lives over the years, and they were astonished to find that their lives weren't very different. Kohaku traveled a lot, as she did. He saw the most fearsome of the demon world, as she had. They joked and laughed at each others expense while telling embrassing stories. The two didn't even notice how late it had become until it was very dark out.

"Oh no. It is too late. Kaede will not be happy." Rin sighed. "I must go, Kohaku. I will see you tommorow."

She ran off before he could say another word to her.

" _Goodnight, Rin."_

The next morning, Rin woke up groggy to find Inuyasha loudly working on a table in the other room. She rubbed her head. _"If Inuyasha is up and here.. what time could it possibly be? Have I slept in?"_

Inuyasha looked over past the door to see Rin moving around. "Long night, huh? Do you think Sesshomaru would be thrilled to find that young Rin had spent all night out with Kohaku?" He teased her. She did not find it as funny as he did.

"Inuyasha, you wouldn't dare. I know you do not speak to my Lord. Besides, what does it matter? I've been out late several times before, why should it matter if I am with Kohaku?"

"You seriously don't know what a young man and woman could possibly be doing out late at night?" He said, and then laughed mockingly at her innocence. Her cheeks flared red out of embarassment.

"Sure I know, but we weren't! So stop it!' She yelled at him. Rin ran out the door. She had obviously lied about knowing exactly what he was talking about, but felt as if she should. She didn't look where she was running when she ran into Kagome. Kagome fell over.

"I'm sorry, Kagome!" Rin said, helping her friend off the ground.

"It's okay, Rin. Why are you running anyways? No one's chasing you." Kagome joked around. She could see Rin was upset and dropped it.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked and brushed Rin's hair with her hand.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just so confused. You're my good friend so I want to ask you something." She said grasping Kagome's hands in hers.

"You can ask me anything."

She looked down at the ground and then back up to Kagome. "What do men and women do late at night?" She asked innocently and desperately.

Kagome's face twitched in embarrassment. She would be the lucky recipient of the old birds and the bees question. She took a deep breath and looked to Rin.

"I will tell you but why do you ask?"

"Inuyasha accused me and Kohaku of it. We were out late last night but I couldn't imagine what anyone could think we were doing other than talking."

"INUYASHA..." Kagome said aloud, hoping he could hear her. In the old days, she would have used the sit command, but the necklace had been removed on their wedding day. It was one of her biggest regrets was not keeping it on her unruly and rude husband. "Don't you pay Inuyasha any mind.. come with me and I'll explain everything to you."

And with that, Rin followed Kagome. She listened to her speak of what it meant to be in love and how things worked.

"… and that is how Sango has her children." Kagome ended her speech.

"Do you and Inuyasha not have this..sex you speak of? Is that why you don't have any children yet?" Rin was thoroughly interested.

Kagome's face dropped at the question.

"We just haven't been blessed with childen yet. Okay? Great chat! We should do it again soon. See you later!" she said leading Rin out of her hut smiling very widely and disappeared back into it.

" _Did I say something?"_ Rin thought. She shrugged and walked along the path and caught sight of Kohaku. She waved to him and ran up the path to see him.

Rin didn't care what people accused her and Kohaku of doing. She enjoyed being near him and he enjoyed being near her.

"Rin, come with me!" He smiled and she followed him.

Rin would join Kohaku everyday since then. They fished together. The ate together. They swam together. They would watch the sun set. There was hardly a moment that Rin wasn't seeing or trying to see Kohaku. And the interest was returned in kind.

The weeks went by, and Kohaku kept putting off leaving. Rin had him rooted into the ground. The moments between flashed in his mind.

" _Don't leave yet Kohaku." Rin said one night, looking up at the stars. "I want you to stay for just a bit longer." She grasped his hand in hers. He smiled and pulled her close to him, making her blush. They leaned against each other for hours not saying anything. She turned to give him a small kiss on the cheek._

" _Rin." Kohaku sighed, pulling her face to his in a warm kiss._

"Kohaku, you must be careful." Miroku warned, one morning while having breakfast. "Lord Sesshomaru is going to be returningsoon for Rin."

He was more or less concerned for Kohaku's feelings than anything. Everybody knew how much Rin loved her Lord. Miroku didn't want Kohaku getting too attached to the girl, because she was going to leave with Sesshomaru no matter what, and then he would maybe never see her again.

Kohaku sighed. He knew that the day would come that Rin would leave, he just didn't want to think of it. He brushed his hair back with his hands and looked at Miroku and then to his sister.

"Sango, there must come a day when Rin will want to live a normal human life with other people… right?"

His sister looked up from her bowl at Kohaku. She wanted to comfort him. But no one really knew what was going on in Rin's head. She was a very strange girl.

"I think there must be a day. But who's to say?" She said, nodding her head.

Kohaku stood up and excused himself from the table. He walked outside and started to wander around and came to the bridge that Rin and him came to often. He thought of her. He thought of her walking away and never returning. Kohaku tried to shake the thought out of his head. Her dark brown eyes and olive skin stained into his memory. He felt a pair of hands reach around him from behind and try to cover his eyes. He smiled.

"Oh, who could it possibly be?" He joked turning around as the hands retreated.

Rin stood there, smiling at him. He tried not to look sad, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't stand to think of her going away. She looked at him with concern and brushed his hair to the side with her hand, inviting him to speak.

" _I have to say something." He thought. "I have to."_

"Rin, what… are your feelings for me?" Kohaku asked, looking downward. He felt her hands caress his face and heard her laugh.

"Kohaku, is it not obvious? I am very fond of you." She replied, lifting his gaze to hers.

"Oh, Rin." He said, pulling her into a kiss. "Please come with me!" He shouted.

At this, he felt her body go limp in his embrace. Rin was faced with a moment she hadn't wanted to come. Her hands hung off the sides of him, no longer holding to him and her head looked down.

" _Leave? With Kohaku? And leave my Lord behind?" She thought as she withdrew from her own body. "I could never leave Lord Sesshomaru. Ever. But I am so very fond of Kohaku. I don't want to leave him. But this day had to come. I will not. I cannot leave my Lord. I just can't."_

She started to cry as Kohaku and her fell onto their knees together. Kohaku still held her close to him, even though she wasn't holding him in return.

Rin looked up at Kohaku with sad eyes. "I am very fond of you, but I cannot abandon Lord Sesshomaru! He needs me..." She said, trying to convince herself this was true.

"I need you, Rin!" Kohaku said, bringing himself up onto his feet. He was heartbroken at her answer, even though he knew it was coming. Rin stayed on the ground and sobbed into her hands, feeling as desperate as him.

"He is a demon, Rin! You can't just follow him forever! You need to be among other people! Can't you see that?!" He shouted at her, his hands balling into fists from frustration.

"Kohaku.. please." She cried into her hands. "I cannot.."

Kohaku became angry at her ignorance. He grabbed her up by her arms and made her face him. He shook her, hoping she would come to her senses.

"Do you realize that you are not going to last forever!? Not even a fraction of his life! You must leave for yourself, if not for me!"

"Kohaku! Please!" She screamed loudly through her cries.

They had attracted a lot of attention, but they hadn't even noticed until Inuyasha grabbed Kohaku by the shoulders and Kagome pulled Rin away from him into her arms. Rin sobbed into Kagome's shoulder. Inuyasha looked at Kohaku.

"What is going on here?" Inuyasha inquired. Kagome was busy rubbing Rin's back and absently looking into the ground. She foresaw this moment coming. Kohaku was smitten with Rin. Kagome knew he wasn't going to leave Rin without any trouble.

" _She's only fourteen, Kohaku!"_ Kagome wanted to yell. But alas, they were in the feudal era, and she reminded herself that girls typically grew up faster here. Sango and her had married late, as far as this era was concerned.

Inuyasha's question went unanswered as Kohaku stared at Rin. Rin turned around to face him.

"Rin, if you refuse me, I'll turn around and you'll never see me again."

Rin stopped crying and took a moment to think. But her mind was already made up. She closed her eyes and all she could see was her beautiful, majestic Lord. As much as it pained her to see Kohaku go, she had to tell him.

"I cannot, Kohaku. My Lord is returning for me as we speak. I am sorry."

Kohaku felt like he was hit with an arrow, and he immediately turned on his heels to walk away.

"Have a nice life. Goodbye forever, Rin!"

Rin had tears rolling down her cheeks as Kohaku went out of sight.

" _Goodbye, Kohaku..."_


	5. C5: The Lie

(Thank you guys. Sorry for the wait. This chapter is a long one and I am glad I finally finished. To Andreaatc: I should get around to that part within the next chapter or so! I will update as much as I can. So stay tuned! thanks.)

Chapter 5: The Lie

Rin felt the warm summer waves coming through the window and she opened a single eye. She had been awake for a time. Her recollections of the day before burned into her retinas. Kohaku had said things that she hadn't wanted to revisit before.

" _Do you realize that you are not going to last forever!? Not even a fraction of his life! You must leave for yourself, if not for me!"_

She felt a tear streak down her face as she stared out the window. This wasn't the first time she had considered this before.

 _When Rin was younger an old monk warned her of her mortality. But it is so much easier to be at peace with something as a child._

" _Lord Sesshomaru?" She called for him._

" _Yes.." He answered._

" _If I died.. would you remember me always?"_

Rin grabbed each side of her face and grunted almost in pain from the memory.

" _I am not going to last forever. My Lord is going to live a very long time. I very well can't be an old woman and still following him around. But I can't help it. I will follow him for as long as I can."_

And then Rin thought of Kohaku. How she missed his embrace already. Rin could still feel the heat coming off of Kohaku as if she was still in his grasp. She closed her eyes and thought of the good times they had had these past few months.

 _Kohaku lifting her up over a puddle. Kohaku behind her as they raced towards the river. Kohaku holding her under the stars. Kohaku kissing her. Kohaku smiling._

 _Kohaku.. Kohaku.. Kohaku.._

"Oh, Kohaku!" Rin cried aloud, holding her blanket to her chest, crying. "I'm so sorry!"

He had been long gone by now. Only his scent remained. Rin held her blanket to her heart and cried aloud. She did not care if anyone heard her. This was the first real human pain she has experienced since she was a young girl.

Kaede slowly made her way into the room and sat by her, rubbing her back. They sat in silence for a moment until Rin's crying settled down to a gentle cough.

"Child, I'm not going to tell you that you made the right or wrong decision regarding the boy. Also, I'm not going to tell you that your life with Lord Sesshomaru is going to be easy. You must do what you feel in your heart is what will make you happy."

Rin turned around and grabbed Kaede's hand and held it for a little while. The old woman had shown her such kindness and understanding. She would truly miss Kaede when she left.

Later on, Rin found herself bathing in the river with her friends, Sango and Kagome. It was a nice day out and the water felt refreshing. Sango was barely moving, as she was due any day now. The girls had small talk for a bit before Sango noticed something.

"Are you okay, Rin?" She asked, nervously looking at Rin's arms.

Rin looked at her arms and for the first time, saw a few small red bruises. She remembered Kohaku grabbing her up and shaking her violently in his outburst of emotions. But she was so sad she hadn't even felt any pain. Surely, he hadn't meant to hurt her. Rin knew he wouldn't do it on purpose.

"I'm fine." Rin replied, faking a smile. "I haven't even noticed them until now."

Sango looked even more nervous than before. She slowly rubbed her own arms, deep in thought.

"Sango, I am fine. Kohaku didn't do this purposely. He would never. I know that."

Kagome swam closer to inspect the marks. They certainly weren't bad or intentional by any means and would be gone within a week. But she knew why Sango was nervous.

"We all know Kohaku wasn't trying to hurt you." Kagome started. "But Lord Sesshomaru is due to come tomorrow."

 _Tomorrow!_ Rin gasped. She had been so caught up in her own sadness, she hadn't even realized that the day was already upon her. Rin smiled a real smile this time, excited to see her Lord again. She almost didn't notice when Kagome went to rub Sango's back. Poor Sango looked terrified. Rin then realized why she was like this. Sango knew that if Sesshomaru saw the marks on her arms, he would be enraged and demand to know who touched her. He would not hesitate to find Kohaku. Rin nodded to herself. She would just have to hide them.

"Sango. It's okay. It'll be a secret, okay?" Rin said, putting her hand on Sango's shoulder. Sango smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you, Rin. You are a good friend."

" _A secret? I don't keep secrets from my Lord. I tell him everything. I should not keep secrets.." Rin thought before she looked to Sango again. "But this time, I will have to. For Sango."_

Rin spent the rest of the day cleaning her kimono and preparing her things so she would ready to go immediately when Lord Sesshomaru came for her. He wasn't the patient sort. She was still feeling sad about Kohaku, but knowing that her Lord would be here so soon made her heart jump with glee.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was flying through the summer skies, on his way. Jaken was traveling on Ah Un.

"My Lord, this has been a wonderful break from Rin! I say we leave her for a few more months." Jaken insisted. He had enjoyed his break from having to tell the silly girl off all the time.

"This Sesshomaru said tomorrow." He replied stoicly, looking forward.

Sesshomaru put up a big front, but it was unmistakeable. He needed Rin's scent. He needed her laughter. He missed Rin. He just had yet to admit it to himself.

" _What if she chooses to stay among the humans?" His subconscious bugged him. "What if she no longer wishes to follow this Sesshomaru?"_

"Foolishness." He chided himself aloud. "Rin will be waiting."

The next morning, Sango and Kagome were fussing over Rin, making sure she had everything she needed. Kaede had to leave for an emergency, which made Rin sad that she would not be saying goodbye. Rin brushed through her wild mane and placed a flower over her ear. She brushed down her white and pink kimono with her hands. Around her neck was a necklace that her Lord had gifted her when she was a child.

 _It was a silver necklace with an amethyst rock dangling at the bottom, it looked fit for a queen. Ten year old Rin woke up and squealed in delight at the wonderful piece that lay across her lap._

" _My lord, I can't believe it's been another year. It's beautiful." She thanked him, throwing the necklace around her neck._

 _He stayed silent with his eyes closed, leaning against Ah Un. She smiled, she knew her Lord cared for her, whether or not he admitted it. Was she to believe some gift fairy came every year on the day she met Lord Sesshomaru and left her something? She went to sit by him and lifted a flower off the grass. Her arm stretched up to hand it to her Lord. He stood still and silent for a minute before his hand came down to accept the flower._

Rin closed her eyes for a minute to savor the memory. She held on to the necklace with her left hand, promising herself that she had made the right decision. Sango came over to her and tugged the sleeves of Rin's kimono down a bit. Obviously to cover the red marks that were on her arm. Rin snapped out of it and looked to the very pregnant Sango and her face fell. Sango was very afraid of Lord Sesshomaru. Rin had never felt fear for him before but she had seen how powerful he was and could understand.

"Sango, I'm sorry to leave when the baby is only a week away. I am going to miss you very much."

"It's okay. You can always feel free to visit anytime, okay? Don't let Lord Sesshomaru keep you from us for so long again." Sango replied, stroking Rin's shoulder.

Rin felt tears coming down her cheeks as she grabbed Sango into a hug.

"I'm just gonna miss you guys so much!" Rin yelled as Kagome came to embrace her as well. "I've never had girl-friends before and this has all been so splendid."

Rin, Sango, and Kagome had found themselves in a big group hug, crying.

"Come on, guys! She's not dying, you know! She'll be back as soon as she gets sick again. You watch!" Inuyasha had made his way into the hut with Miroku and couldn't help but scold the girls for their foolish crying.

Rin turned around to face Miroku. He opened his arms and she slid into his arms for a hug. He had been so dependable and fatherly to her since she came, which she appreciated.

"We'll see you again, young lady."

Last but not least was Inuyasha. He had given her a hard time and teased her throughout her time here but he was not all that bad. He was always there for her if she needed something. She knew he wasn't a big hugger, much like his brother, and extended her arm out to him.

"Till next time, Inuyasha." Rin smiled sweetly and they exchanged a handshake, which made Inuyasha smirk.

"You better get going, I can smell him already."

Rin went to the door of the hut and smiled back at all of her friends. She nodded to them thankfully before waving goodbye and walking out of the hut. Her walk soon became a sprint as she made her way to the big empty hill near the village. She found herself slowing down when she got to the top and put her bag down.

No sooner did her bag hit the floor, when a large shadow came overhead. Rin looked up and saw him. Lord Sesshomaru was just as magnificent as she left him. She looked behind him to Jaken riding Ah Un and a huge smile came over her face. She had missed them all so dearly.

Sesshomaru landed in front of her with a graceful motion. He stood there with saying anything, and she did the same in return. He looked at his young Rin's face and found that it had changed a bit since he left. She looked slightly more mature, a little less innocent. Her Lord couldn't decide how this could have happened in half a year, but he didn't care to ask. Rin finally broke the silence.

"My Lord, I am glad to see you again." The poor girl was mesmerized by him. She couldn't believe for a single second she had even considered leaving his magnificence. He was her everything.

"Did you think I would not return? This Sesshomaru always keeps his promises."

Just then, Jaken came bounding onto the ground and made his way over to Rin.

"Rin, child, I never thought in a million years that I would be happy to see you." The toad said, in the best way possible.

"I'll try to take that as a compliment, Master Jaken." Rin said, embracing the toad. She held him tight to her as he yelled at her.

"Let me down immediately!"

Rin put Jaken down and smiled to herself. She never knew that she would be happy to have Jaken scolding her ever. Things were already getting back to normal.

Sesshomaru continued to study Rin. He approached her and lifted her chin slightly with his hand, looking at her face as she smiled at him lovingly. There was something different about her overall look that he couldn't really place. When he was done, he nodded his head and released her chin. He did this often to her throughout their years together, and while others might have considered it strange, she didn't mind that her Lord wanted to look at her.

"Rin, climb upon Ah Un. We must be leaving now." Sesshomaru said and turned on his heel to begin to leave.

That was as warm as a welcome back was going to get with the demon Lord. Rin knew and was completely okay with that most of the time. She had never really expected much warmth from Sesshomaru. But she wished now more than ever to embrace him after all the closeness and warmth she had been getting used to. Rin picked up her bag and walked over to Ah Un. The huge dragon seemed most of all happy to see her, both heads snuggling with her and she embraced them.

"I missed you." She whispered and then made her way on top.

Jaken hopped on behind her and they all took off into the sky.

Rin could not stop talking for a single moment. She had to tell Jaken everything. She spoke of how kind Kagome and her friends were. She spoke of Kaede teaching her how to make potions and remedies so she could be more self sufficient on her journeys. She spoke of Sango's wild children and of parties and gatherings. Things that never happened when it was just the three of them.

Well maybe not everything… Rin made sure to leave Kohaku out of her story telling. Surely, Master Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru would be unhappy to know about him. Plus, she had promised Sango to protect him. Rin pulled down her sleeves.

The group made it to a clearing by the afternoon and stopped to rest. Jaken got as far away from Rin as possible to avoid having to listen to another moment of her idle chatter. Sesshomaru made his way over to a nice spot under a tree and laid down. Rin followed him and sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a long time as he closed his eyes and she sat fidgeting with her kimono. Rin looked over to him and took in his beauty up close. She wanted more than ever to snuggle up to him and take in his warmth. Rin gazed upon the markings on his face and wished to touch them.

"Is there something you need, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked, with his eyes still closed. He always knew what was going on around him, even if he wasn't looking.

"No, my Lord, I just am glad to be near you, again."

Sesshomaru nodded his head, which made Rin beam with happiness. She knew that was his way of returning her affections.

" _He really did miss me. Now I feel even worse for keeping a secret." She thought, hugging her knees to her._

The next day was as silent as ever as they trudged through the woods and the dirt. Rin was so glad things were getting back to normal. She ran on ahead of them after hearing what sounded like a waterfall. She didn't stop until she reached it. It was a beautiful landscape with a fresh smell in the air.

"My Lord, a waterfall! Might we stop?" She yelled aloud.

Rin didn't really wait for his response as Sesshomaru never said no to her. She bent down and stuck her finger in the pond that stood under the waterfall. _"Nice and cold." She thought._

She absent mindedly took off her kimono and set it on a rock, leaving on her underclothes and necklace. Taking a deep breath in and running headstart, she dove into the pond headfirst and swam underwater. When she opened her eyes, she saw fish scurrying in all opposite directions and a green blue hue. Smiling, she swam upward towards the surface and when she found it, she took a deep breath of air in. Rin kicked her legs to stay afloat and looked to the side of the pond to see Sesshomaru, Ah Un, and Jaken approaching.

"The water is great. I suggest you try." Rin called to all of them. Ah Un dipped his tail in and shivered then retreated back to a nice dry spot. This made Rin laugh in delight. Jaken joined her occasionally but today was not tempted. Rin had never seen Sesshomaru swim. Maybe he thought such actions were not becoming of a powerful Lord. Rin, however, was a very accomplished swimmer and took pride in her abilities.

"You're all no fun." She said jokingly, swimming by herself. "Maybe I can catch a fish while I'm in here."

Rin swam around for a little while before Jaken grew impatient with being idle.

"Rin, let's get going. Lord Sesshomaru does not have all day to watch you go swimming, girl!" He chided.

"One minute, Master Jaken!" Rin called sweetly, diving back in to see if she could catch a fish before she exited the pond. She grabbed at a couple while underwater, but they slipped out. It was much easier to catch fish in a river, as her feet would be rooted into the ground. Whereas now, they had a better chance of escaping. She gave up after a few tries and resurfaced, making her way to the edge. She lifted herself onto land and stood up.

"They got away today." Rin said, shrugging her shoulders. She walked over behind the rock and began to take off her wet underclothes and wrapped herself in her dry kimono, tying it together properly. She whipped her wet hair around to get it to dry and then came out from behind the rock with her wet underclothes in her hand. She grabbed her bag off of Ah Un and began to stuff the wet clothing in there, replacing the bag.

"Rin." A voice called from a little ways behind her.

"Yes, my Lord?" She answered before turning around to look at him, smiling at him. She loved it when Sesshomaru said her name.

"Why are you bruised?"

" _No! How could I have been so careless? I was so excited I'd forgotten to cover up." Her mind scolded her. "Keep calm, just keep cool."_

"What bruise?" Rin answered, trying to seem clueless. Rin was a bad actress. Her eyes betrayed her.

Sesshomaru approached her and told hold of her arm and pulled up the sleeve of her kimono. He inspected it as Rin tried to come up with something to say. Even though the marks weren't bad at all, it was clear to him by the way the marks looked that somebody had dared to touch his Rin in some shape or form. It certainly didn't make him happy. Rin was his most prized possession, even if he didn't admit it. He did not travel to the afterlife to save Rin so she could be handled by some nameless peasant.

"Oh, that! I don't know I must have been clumsy while cleaning back at the village. You know how clumsy I can be, my Lord." She tried, and it felt so wrong.

" _Rin tells a lie." His mind came to a complete halt at the very thought. "Rin lied.. to this Sesshomaru. Rin would never. Ever." Not His Rin. But it was clear as day that it had just happened. And he felt shocked and angry._

"You would dare to lie to this Sesshomaru?" Her Lord said calmly, even though his mind was nothing even close to calm. He released her arm and turned his back to her, hiding his shock.

Rin couldn't hold it back anymore. She could never lie to him, although she did. She just did. Her whole world came crashing down. She thought of Kohaku and how much she cared for him. She thought of Sango and how she had failed her. But above all, she had done something she never thought she could possibly do to the one person she had put all her trust into these past years. Lying to Lord Sesshomaru was not something SHE would forgive herself for, no matter how big or small the lie.

" _He will send me away! I have broken his trust."_

Rin did the only thing she could think to do at that point. She had seen Jaken do it before, but she never thought for a minute it would ever be her. But then again, she never thought she would ever try to deceive her Lord either. Falling onto her hands and knees, she began to beg for forgiveness.

"Forgive me, my Lord! It was not like me to lie to you. I would never! Even though I just have.. My time with the other people has shaken my loyalty to you, but I now realize it was foolish to break your trust. Yes, I have lied to you, and for that, I deserve to be punished."

Jaken stood by speechlessly. He could not believe that first and foremost, the ever faithful Rin would ever lie to Lord Sesshomaru. Even as she misbehaved as a child, she had never ever dared to try and lie. Second, he had never thought in a million years he would see the Lord's precious spoiled pet bowing before him, begging for forgiveness. He had always hoped the day would come where Lord Sesshomaru would have to put young Rin in her place. But now that it was here, it made Jaken uneasy. He didn't want this to be happening.

Sesshomaru made himself choke back his dismay and turned around to look at Rin. She still had her head down, and her wet hair touching the ground. He did not like to see her in such a position. Begging did not suit Rin well, even if this was the right time to do it. He was angry with her, but he looked down at her and knew that he could never hurt Rin, even if she had deceived him. He could never lay a hand on her, even if she asked for it. But he could not let her off completely either.

"The truth, then?" He demanded, trying his best to hold no emotion. "Lift your head and speak."

Rin lifted her head immediately and gazed into her Lord's eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of comfort. She wasn't going to cry because she needed to be strong for his sake. She wasn't going to lie anymore. But she also needed to protect Kohaku.

"It is all my fault, Lord Sesshomaru. I let a boy lay his hands upon me. I wanted him to do it. I was so weak with human emotions. I didn't wish to tell you because I thought you would be angry with me, my Lord. Which you have every right to be."

Sesshomaru took in her words and stood there, contemplating them. So it was true, some peasant village boy had their dirty hands on his Rin. He felt as if he could swallow this boy whole. But then, Rin said she had wanted him to. Had she asked for him to? Sesshomaru became confused with why in the world Rin would want some unworthy boy touching her. _"Human emotions.. hmm.. yes, humans are weak. I suppose she could not resist her humans urges when she was around the other people. But still.."_

"Have you mated with this boy?" Sesshomaru inquired.

Mated? How personal of a question..Rin was embarassed by the whole conversation, but wanted only for her Lord to trust her again. She didn't care what the consequences were.

"No, my Lord. I have not. I am still a virgin." Rin explained, her cheeks blushing heavily from such humiliating dialogue.

"You better count your lucky stars you are, young Lady!" Jaken piped up, enraged at the girl's carelessness.

"Shut up, Jaken. I will speak." Sesshomaru said sternly before he turned back to Rin. She had her arms crossed against her chest and she was rubbing her shoulders in a comforting fashion.

"Rin, rise to your feet. I will forgive you for speaking lies this once. But you are never to allow anyone to touch you that way again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. Thank you." Rin said, first bowing her head and then rising to her feet.

Rin hid her face with her sleeve embarrassed as she made her way onto Ah Un's back. The dragon stood up and waited on Sesshomaru's orders.

"Jaken, we're leaving."

"Yes, My Lord." Jaken scrambled to grab Ah Un's reigns. He knew there would be a great silence for the rest of the day and night and was okay with that. The worst of the day was past them.

Sesshomaru began to walk, with Jaken and Ah Un behind him. He stared blankly ahead of him, deep in thought.

" _Why do I feel this way? I did what had to be done. I will not stand for lying mouths in my company. This Sesshomaru will have order. Rin should not have succumbed to such weak human emotions.. Yes, she can learn to forsake them. She just needs time."_

He nodded to himself as he walked on.


	6. C6: Opening Up

(To Andreaatc: thanks for your feedback again. its gonna be a bit longer before something like that but I hope you will enjoy this chapter!)

Chapter 6: Opening up

The next few days were more quiet than usual. Rin hadn't opened her mouth to speak once since the incident. She was too ashamed to even show her face, as she stayed her distance and keep her eyes averted. Jaken was too afraid of his Lord to do any talking just yet. He didn't know whether his Lord was still angry or not, and wasn't going to make any bold moves until he was sure the storm had passed. Jaken himself was still feeling uneasy about that night.

" _Rin, why must_ _you torment Lord Sesshomaru with your behavior?" Jaken thought angrily, but quickly wilted. "Well, I do feel a little bad for the girl. My Lord has not shown any anger towards Rin until this point. Surely, it must be bothering her a lot."_

It most certainly was. Rin lay atop Ah Un as the group traveled. She didn't want Lord Sesshomaru or Jaken to see her right now.

" _Rin! You're so stupid." She thought, scolding herself. "Why did I allow Kohaku to become so close to me? Why do I still think of him? I'm just glad Lord Sesshomaru did not pry further. Turning the blame on myself was a good decision, I am so relieved I was able to protect him."_

The discussion about what transpired was obviously over, and she had been forgiven, but getting things back to normal was going to be hard. Rin didn't want to face Sesshomaru just yet but she had to eventually. She looked to her right, and saw Jaken climbing Ah Un. To her left, she saw Lord Sesshomaru taking off into the woods, hand on his sword.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru going?" She asked Jaken as he finally sat down in front of her.

"I don't know, Rin, my Lord hasn't spoken but two words to me since the other night and today they were 'Stay here' so that's what I intend to do."

Jaken saw the somber look in Rin's eyes. He felt so paternal with her, that it made him uneasy to see her so sad. He practically raised Rin, and it made him experience emotions he never knew he had. Empathy, above all. If Rin could make him feel such things, maybe Lord Sesshomaru had been feeling something similar.

"Rin, I want to tell you something. I have known Lord Sesshomaru for ages now, and the thing he cares about most in his life has always been his pride. When you of all people lied to him about acting carelessly with a human boy, his pride was struck. He put a great amount of trust in you and still does. Now, our Lord is not going to come to you first. As I've said, his pride is everything to him and he will not admit defeat in this great silence. What he needs is for you to go to him. And that is all I will say in this matter."

Jaken looked to Rin to see if she had grasped anything he had discussed and saw that she was looking very thoughtful. She stared at Jaken for a while before she spoke.

"Thank you, Master Jaken." Rin said, smiling and nodding. "I understand completely. You are always there for me and I am so grateful. Can you do me a favor?"

About an hour later, Sesshomaru was walking back towards where he left everyone. But to his surprise, neither Jaken nor Ah Un were anywhere to be seen. He looked around, confused about where they possibly could have taken off to when he heard a rustle of leaves across the way.

He whipped around with his hand on his sword, ready to fight whatever it was when he saw the figure exit the brush. Long dark wavy hair. Tall and lanky. Big chestnut eyes. It was Rin. He wanted to ask her what in the world was going on but instead, dropped his defensive stance and stood up straight, staring back at her.

" _Rin? What is going on? Why are you looking at me like that?" He thought. "Why.."_

Rin approached him slowly, brushing her hair behind her ear as she advanced toward him.

"Rin? Where is Jaken? What is the meaning of this?" He demanded to know.

She advanced closer to him before she stretched out her arms and threw herself around his waist, holding on for dear life. This shocked Sesshomaru immensely. Rin had never been so bold as to embrace him like this before. He felt her lean body wrapped around him and found that his hands were shaking.

" _Why is she doing this?" He asked himself. "What is she trying to do?"_

"Lord Sesshomaru.." Rin sighed as she dug her face into his side, not letting up.

Sesshomaru clenched his teeth together, not wanting to feel this strange emotion that suddenly took hold of him as she held him. His hands shook as he raised them up, ready to push her away from him. He simply could not allow this feeling to stay.

" _How dare anyone make this Sesshomaru feel useless feelings. I have no use for them. I.."_

He looked down at young Rin desperately holding onto him, and caved. His shaky hand became still. Slowly, Sesshomaru brought this hand down to begin running his fingers through Rin's flowing locks. There they stayed in this peaceful motion for the next several minutes.

" _Rin. Why do you bring this Sesshomaru such pain?"_

…..

In the early morning, Jaken was leading Ah Un through the woods. The sun beamed through the trees, almost promising them that today was going to be a better day, which made Jaken hopeful.

"Well I hope things are back in order, Ah Un. And that young Rin and Lord Sesshomaru can get past all this. It really was making my Lord very tense. The fact that Lord Sesshomaru did not seek us out after Rin asked us to leave them for the night makes me very hopeful."

They stumbled to where Jaken had left Rin to wait for their Lord and was immediately put at ease at the sight of both Lord Sesshomaru and Rin. Sesshomaru was sitting up cross legged against a tree, his eyes open and alert. Rin was in a deep sleep, her head on the demon Lord's lap while the rest of her body was curled up into a ball beside him.

Lord Sesshomaru looked up and over to Jaken and glared at him. The toad shuddered.

"Jaken, I had not given you permission to evacuate the premises." Sesshomaru said sternly, which made Jaken freeze up.

"Forgive me, my Lord. It is Rin who asked me to leave the both of you for the night."

"I already know this because she told me. Exactly who is in charge here?" Sesshomaru replied, blank as ever.

"You are, my Lord. I am very sorry for not waiting on you. But I must say I am glad that your Grace has begun speaking to Rin, aga-" Jaken was cut off by a rock pelting him in the forehead and making him fall backwards.

Sesshomaru came to his feet, picking Rin's unconscious body up in his arms. He carried her over to Ah Un and laid her on his back. She fussed around for a minute before falling back to sleep. Sesshomaru looked at Rin sleeping for a few minutes before he turned to Jaken.

"We're leaving." He said, turning on his heel and walking forward.

"Yes, my Lord." said Jaken relieved, following his Lord. The two headed dragon followed carefully behind, as to not drop the sleeping Rin.

" _I wonder what has made my Lord so irritable this morning." Jaken thought._

((Last night))

Rin figured with Jaken and Ah Un gone for the night, she might be able to have a more in depth conversation with Sesshomaru. They started off with small conversation for a little while but she wanted to ask him things she had always wondered about. He sat peacefully by a tree and she sat very close by, playing with her hair and smiling.

"My Lord, what was your father like?"

The question surprised him, what did Rin care what his father was like? But he obliged.

"My father was a great and noble demon, with unspeakable power. He was the one who trained me."

"Yeah, but what was he like? What was his personality like?"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes at this question. He never spoke of his father in this fashion.

"As formidable as he was, he was kind and fair. Those who knew him, knew he was not to take his kindness for a weakness. My father would kill those who crossed him without a second thought. Although he did have his … weakness."

"And what was that, my Lord?" Rin was intrigued.

"Women."

Rin nodded. She did know already that Lord Inutaisho's eventual death spiraled from his love for Inuyasha's human mother. Maybe Lord Sesshomaru resented this weakness in his father.

"My father could not resist a beautiful woman." Sesshomaru continued. "My mother would come to him, and he would become soft at her very touch. Unfortunately, my mother's hands weren't the only ones softening him. Which is why he's no longer."

Rin stayed silent for a minute or two, thinking of Sesshomaru's beautiful mother. She had met her once before. No wonder Sesshomaru was so magnificent, with a mother like that.

"Do you think of women, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru was taken aback. He hadn't expected this question, and he didn't want to answer it truthfully. But he couldn't very well lie without becoming a hypocrite.

"Sometimes. But I have better self control than my old man."

This made Rin smile with delight. She wanted to know more but didn't know how far to push it.

"Are there any women who have seeked you out, my Lord?"

Sesshomaru became very silent then. He leaned back and let his head rest against the tree.

 _There had been two women who had desired Sesshomaru. Sara, a human girl, who wasn't particularly beautiful. She had light brown hair and neutral skin, and small, uninviting eyes. But she made up in intrigue. Sara played an entrancing tune on the flute, that he would never forget. She had also managed to steal the Tetsaiga from his half brother. He used his Tenseiga to save her spirit before she finally passed on._

 _Then there was Kagura, Naraku's servant, who tried to bribe him into helping her be released from her Master. Unlike Sara, Kagura was a sight for sore eyes. Her skin was lily white, her eyes fiery red with big dark eyelashes, her lips were as dark as wine. He had seen her body before after she had been hurt in battle and had felt the slightest twinge of desire for the naked woman. But alas, Sesshomaru would have never sought her out romantically. She was a servant of Naraku and not the kind of demoness fit to court a great demon Lord like him._

The demon Lord broke his thoughtful quietness. He sat up.

"Rin, I don't want to talk anymore. You should go to sleep."

"Okay, my Lord." She nodded, yawning, and laid her head on his lap. He leaned back against the tree.

" _Lord Sesshomaru, thank you for speaking to me.." She thought before she dozed off._


	7. C7: Water Nymph

(Another chapter up! Woot)

Chapter 7: Water Nymph

It had been several months since the night Rin and Lord Sesshomaru made peace and things were going as well as they could possibly be going. They certainly weren't back to normal, though. Rin had started becoming more bold in many ways. Her time spent with other people had put a small change in her that she hadn't even noticed. But Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken both noticed, even if they didn't say so to one another. She was louder and more opinionated and at times moody.

Rin was changing physically too. Her bosom was growing out noticeably and her cheeks were becoming more defined as her face matured. What was left of the young Rin was fading very fast. She had started yelling back at Jaken when he would try to scold her in his usual way. They would always made up at the end but it was still a sight to behold.

"Master Jaken, I am not a child anymore! So why do you insist on treating me like one?!" Rin shouted at him during their most recent argument. Jaken was refusing to let her go off by herself in the mountains.

"Well when you start acting like an adult, I'll treat you as one, girl!" Jaken yelled back. "I've told you, the mountains are a dangerous place. You will surely slip and fall."

"You're so crude! I'm not that helpless!"

"HA! You are as helpless and hopeless as any other human, you spoiled brat!"

That statement made Rin very angry. She balled her hands into fists. But her anger was quickly shoved aside when another voice entered the conversation.

"Stop yelling. The both of you." Sesshomaru, who had been walking ahead of them the whole time, spoke.

"Yes, my Lord" Rin and Jaken said in unison, but then gave each other dirty looks.

" _How dare Rin raise her voice to me! Who does she think she is? After all these years. She has changed. I wonder if Lord Sesshomaru minds these changes as much as I have."_

Lord Sesshomaru did mind a little that Rin was acting differently at times, but she was still Rin. The Rin who liked to pick flowers and laughed and smiled. He tried to ignore her talking back to Jaken and being moody at times. It never affected Sesshomaru personally, as Rin was always pleasant and obedient to him. Although he wondered if this would change.

Sesshomaru looked further down the path and saw some men approaching the area they were traveling, they looked like wolf demons. He thought of Rin. They hadn't run into anyone, including men in the past months and when he saw them he felt particularly defensive of her. This was new. She was in no danger, as he was here, but he couldn't help his overbearing protective thoughts that stalked him after he learned that some boy had touched her. All he could think of was someone putting their dirty hands on her. He didn't want his Rin associating with any other men.

"Rin, I don't want you speaking to any men that cross our paths unless I say so." the demon Lord said without thinking it over.

As he said it, he felt something was wrong with this. Had he really allowed himself to become so domineering to Rin? Rin was always free to speak to whomever she pleased. But over the past few months, he had become overprotective and couldn't help it. He wanted to somehow take it back, and say it was okay and she could do as she pleased, but this is Sesshomaru, the great demon Lord who's words are final. And it was what he wanted.

Rin looked over to Sesshomaru and felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Had he really just said those things? Sesshomaru never stopped her from speaking if that was what she wanted. He never stopped her from doing anything she wanted to do. He was never this overbearing to her. Rin noticed this change in him the night she had made Sesshomaru angry. Maybe he still didn't trust her yet, which made her hurt more.

" _Is this because of Kohaku? I can't believe my Lord is being like this. I don't want to be told who I can and can not speak to. But.." She wilted and looked over to Sesshomaru. "I guess he wouldn't say it unless he thought it best. At least that's what I want to believe." She thought._

"Yes, my Lord." Rin said, with a tone of dismay.

Sesshomaru was put off by her tone, knowing she hadn't wanted to oblige. But his primal side was satisfied with her unwavering obedience. He was glad that his Rin never questioned him, whether or not his requests were unfair. He snapped back to concentrate as they were about to cross paths with some wolf demons.

"Well, look who it is. None other than Lord Sesshomaru and his toad!" said a familiar voice.

"Koga, let's not.."

"Shut up, Hakaku!"

Sesshomaru recognized these men as Koga, Ginta, and Hakaku of the wold demon tribe. He didn't particularly like any of them, but they had since become allies. When they came to them, everybody stopped walking.

"I haven't seen you in a dog's age." Koga said, pun intended.

Sesshomaru nodded to him to be polite, and Jaken did the same. Rin stood in back. She was not fond of wolves, as they had been the ones to kill her so long ago before Sesshomaru brought her back to life. She kept her eyes away from them.

"It is good to see you are doing well." Koga said, his hands on his hips. Ginta and Hakaku stood by him silently, both of them looking nervous. They were very fearful of Lord Sesshomaru, and rightfully so.

"I trust the Northern mountains are well protected now. With yourself and Lady Ayame in charge." Sesshomaru said, not wanting to make too much small talk but also wanting to be polite to his allies.

"Mostly me, now. Lady Ayame is busy taking care of pups, so I've taken on a lot of the watch. Not that anything really dangerous happens anymore. At least not often."

Koga then noticed the quiet female in the back, with her head lowered. He strided over. Sesshomaru cringed when he saw Koga getting close to Rin, but he stayed calm, not wanting to overreact.

"Hey, isn't this the human brat you always had with you?" Koga said, bending down to look at her face. Rin averted her chestnut eyes. "She's quite the beauty, now. Good on you, Sesshomaru. I didn't know you were saving her like that." He said, with a funny smirk on his face.

" _What is that supposed to mean? 'Saving me'.. For what?!" Rin thought, blushing._

Koga noticed her tenseness and the fact she wasn't speaking to him, and stood up straight to walk away from her. _"Sure is a quiet thing. Lucky bastard."_ He thought before he joined his comrades.

"Whatever you are thinking of her, you must be mistaken." Sesshomaru said, calmly.

"Sure sure..Well, we have to get going. More of the mountain to check up on, you know." Koga said, motioning the other guys to follow him. "Be well, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru nodded to them. And just like that, they were gone. No long talks, which suited him just fine. He looked back at Rin, who was beet red and most certainly not happy about what had transpired.

"Master Jaken, what was the demon wolf talking about?" Rin asked, while avoiding looking at Sesshomaru. She already knew in the back of her head but wanted to be clear.

Jaken laughed to himself a bit at the girls foolishness and began to explain.

"Well he obviously thought that Lord Sesshomaru has taken you on as a mate. Isn't that a laugh? Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't be caught dead mating with a silly mortal woman. Nobody despises humans more than my Lord. He isn't his father that's for sure."

The answer hit Rin hard. Not only was it embarassing that Koga thought she was mating with Sesshomaru. Could her companions be so cruel as to acknowledge her with such disdain in regards to her kind? Why would he bother traveling with her in the first place if humans were so disgusting to him? Rin felt anger rise up in her chest. She felt like she could die.

"Oh, Master Jaken! I hate you!" Rin shouted and pushed past him and ran ahead of both him and Lord Sesshomaru, not stopping to look back. She ran for what seemed like several minutes until her legs became tired and she stopped to take a break. She saw a small spot that seemed okay to sit and look at the sky to think to herself for a bit.

" _Lord Sesshomaru, if you hate me why do you treat me otherwise? If humans are so despicable why did you choose me to resurrect?"_

Meanwhile, Jaken was busy moaning and rubbing his head while following Lord Sesshomaru.

" _I don't understand what that girl's problem is and why Lord Sesshomaru hit me after I answered her question. It's not like he does intend to be her mate. I was only telling the truth!" He thought to himself wearily._

Lord Sesshomaru found Rin in the spot she rested at and stopped to look at her for a bit. He knew why she was upset, as he was no fool. But he could not find it in himself to comfort her. What Jaken said was true, whether or not it was uncalled for to say it aloud. He did despise humans. But he did not despise Rin. Although he really didn't know what to make of his feelings for Rin. He'd never felt so possessive of anything or anyone in his life. Rin was like a precious gem that couldn't be given away or sold. But he couldn't very well follow in the footsteps of his father, either. Something would need to change soon.. but he couldn't bring himself to accept that that might mean having to place Rin back with her own kind.

" _No, not now. Just a bit longer." He thought._

Rin took notice of Sesshomaru standing there watching her and wondered how long he had been there. Jaken wasn't too far behind him. She sighed as her time alone was up for now. She stood up and lowered her head and closed her eyes before she spoke, calmly.

"I am sorry for running off, my Lord. I was not myself. I also apologize to Jaken-" Rin said, then opening her eyes. "I do not hate you. But you must understand that speaking ill of my people is troubling to me as I am one of the creatures you proclaim to despise." She also meant this for Lord Sesshomaru, as well, and hoped he would get the hint.

Sesshomaru was no fool. He knew she meant for part of the message to be heard for him. He blinked, this boldness was getting to him in ways that made him ill. His proud side was shocked for letting a mere human run her mouth like that. It called out to him loudly to restore it's order. But he quickly shook it away, knowing he couldn't possibly.

"Very well. Come. We must reach the forest by nightfall."

The next few days were pretty pleasant. Jaken and Rin didn't fight at all and Rin even gifted him with a bunch of flowers she had found in the forest, which he appreciated. Things were going as great as they possibly could be going. Lord Sesshomaru was talking a bit more than usual as well, although only when prompted to speak.

Rin breathed in happily when she heard it. A river. She had a keen sense of hearing and could sense it from a mile away. Sesshomaru wasn't far behind her and she whirled around.

"My Lord, may I go ahead to find the river? I wish to bathe in privacy." She asked sweetly, looking forward to the first bath in days.

Sesshomaru nodded and she took off like the wind.

Rin couldn't wait to reach the water. She always felt so herself when she was swimming. By the time she got to the water, she had already removed her kimono. Shoving it into a nearby branch, and taking a quick look around, she started to strip her underclothes off. Rin looked down at her body and cursed the changes that had become so troublesome. Her hips were widening, and her breasts had grown. They weren't large by any means, but enough to bother her. She knew she should be embracing these changes. She did want to mature into a woman. But the fact that it had happened under her nose unsettled her.

Rin left everything off, except for her necklace before she climbed into the river to test it out. It was shallow at the edges and got very deep very quickly. It was a very large river, it would be intimidating to anyone but her. Her swimming was impeccable and the current wasn't so bad that it would sweep her away. She dived under the water and resurfaced and decided to swim against the current for a little bit. As she swam, she noticed pieces of wood and debris floating by her. " _Strange" She thought._

Rin picked up her pace and swam harder to investigate. Ahead of her she saw large pieces of a small boat ripped apart and panicked. She looked to either side of the river and couldn't make out any signs of people being around. She swam over to the wreckage and saw a hand sinking under the water. Rin swam as furiously and quickly as she could as she dove under to rescue this person. The figure was one of a man, she could tell due to his large stature. He was sinking fast and she looked for the reason why. Aha! A sword was in it's place at the man's waist pulling him under. She yanked out the sword and quickly yanked him to the surface with her.

When she got to the surface, she starting using her right arm to swim sideways to the side of the river. It felt like forever. Rin wanted to save this person, hoping he wasn't already beyond saving. When she reached the edge, she dragged his body to the edge. Whoever he was, he wasn't moving. She banged her fist on his chest, having no idea how to get water out of another persons lungs. Luckilly, the man turned his head and started sputtering out water.

Rin finally got a good look at the man as he started to come to. He was tall and large with a dainty face, and large dark brown eyes. He had long pin straight black hair up in a ponytail on his head. He was dressed rather well, she noticed.

"Who are you? You saved me." He started to speak to her. "Are you a water nymph?" He was regaining himself very quickly.

" _Water nymph? Wait.. Oh no!"_ Rin looked down to see that she was still naked as ever, and that the man had taken notice. She hurriedly stood up and raced back into the water to cover herself.

"Wait! Please wait! I wish to speak with you!"

The man was up on his feet already. Rin panicked and started to swim downstream as quickly as she could. But the man was following along on land, desperate for her to speak with him. He was so entranced by this young girl who swam with such skill, the only reasonable assumption was that he had been saved by a water nymph.

Rin got to her side of the river and got out quickly and grabbed her clothes before hiding behind a boulder. She quickly began to put on her things, when she heard the male calling for her again. When she had everything on, she peered around the rock.

"Water nymph? Where have you gone! I wish to see you, please. I must thank you." He called out.

That's when he saw her peering from behind the rock and began pursuing her. She had him going around the rock a few times before he gently grabbed her hand to make her stop running from him.

"Please.." he said. "Thank you for rescuing me, might I know the name of the one who rescued me?"

Rin wanted to answer him and be done with it, but she had received orders from her Lord not to speak to any men, and although she felt weird about it, she wasn't going to defy him again. She pushed the man back and climbed the boulder with great agility and sat atop it, looking down at the man.

"What is going on here?" A booming voice bellowed. It was Lord Sesshomaru. He saw Rin on top of a rock looking startled, and a man under the rock. This made him very angry. He felt like striking out immediately but wished to know more of the situation before beheading the mortal man before him.

Rin was relieved. She quickly climbed down off the rock and hid herself behind him, looking around to see the human man. He was a very attractive man.

The man looked over to Lord Sesshomaru and could not see that he was a demon with his plain eyes, although he did sense that this was a person that had some kind of power by the way he was dressed.

"Good sir, this young lady has saved me from a sure death at the hands of this river. I have tried to thank her and know her name, but she does not speak. I fear she is mute. Might she be with you?"

Sesshomaru felt a brush of relief that no one had tried to hurt Rin but he was still pretty stunned at the information thrown his way. Rin was able to save a man of this great size? He was impressed.

"Rin, is this true? You saved this man?" Sesshomaru asked, looking back to Rin.

"Yes, my Lord."

" _She does speak." The man thought._

"Consider yourself very lucky." Sesshomaru said to the man before trying to walk away.

"Please. My name is Akio. I wish to thank my savior in a proper manner. I am the son of the old Lord of a village not too far from here. I want to invite her and her company to stay and be honored guests. But first please, I'd like to know her name?"

" _He is a young Lord?" Rin thought. "I guess my intuition was right."_

Sesshomaru grinded his teeth at the thought of spending time with humans. But then again, this was Rin's doing. She had saved the man called Akio. It was her choice whether or not to accept this man's offer of thanks.

"Do you wish to accept his gratitude?" Sesshomaru asked Rin, not answering the man yet.

The demon Lord looked over to his Rin thinking. He couldn't stand to be near humans, but maybe Rin would like to spend some time among her own for a short time. Surely, he could just let Rin have a day or two with people. But he wouldn't leave her alone again after what happened last time.

Rin looked to him and nodded. Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes but he simply looked back over to Akio. He studied the man quickly, and knew he must mean no threat. He sighed and looked over to Jaken to let him know it was time to speak. He didn't really wish to talk to the human himself.

"Well, first and foremost, this is Lord Sesshomaru, the great dog demon of the Western Lands. And the young lady who saved you is his ward, Rin."

Akio shuddered when he heard that the large man before him was a demon of such great nobility. He bowed his head and raised it respectfully.

"Very well then. Lord Sesshomaru. Miss Rin. I would like nothing more than to have you join me." Akio said, looking over to the mysterious girl behind the great dog demon.

" _Might she really be a water nymph? She really is beautiful." Akio thought._

He looked at her and smiled before beginning to lead them out of the forest.

(I know I just went OC on you all. Forgive me. The next chapter is going to be intense so please stay tuned!)


	8. C8: The Decision

( Okay Chapter 8 here! Woof. It's a long one. Like four times longer than any other chapter I've posted, which is why it took a few days.)

Chapter 8: The Decision

The young Lord Akio led the group through the woods, occasionally looking back at Rin, who was walking behind the dog demon Lord. He couldn't believe his good luck that he had been saved by this beautiful creature. He was walking ahead of the group and Jaken was close to him whereas Sesshomaru and Rin were a bit further back. He decided he would try to get some information out of the strange little demon near him.

"You never told me your name." Akio implored.

"It's Jaken, mortal. I am Lord Sesshomaru's right hand man." Jaken said proudly, looking over the large human before him.

Akio leaned in closer to Jaken and covered his mouth as he spoke.

"Jaken, what is the details of the relationship between the dog demon Lord Sesshomaru and the water nymph, Rin? I know she is his ward but why does she only speak to him?"

"Rin, a water nymph? You jest! Rin is a human girl, of course." Jaken laughed to himself. "To answer your question, Lord Sesshomaru resurrected young Rin when she was a small child and she has followed him since, becoming his responsibility. You can say he's somewhat protective over her. But otherwise, their relationship is nothing strange."

" _Ah, how splendid! Rin is a human, like myself. And what an intriguing one, too. I've never seen anybody swim or climb like her before. I must get to know this young lady, that's for sure. But how do I get to know her if she will not speak?" He thought, looking back to her._

 _"Oh no. He's looking at me again!" Rin thought, blushing. "I can't believe I accepted his offer. I should have said no. But look at that face. Who could say no to him? I should be happy to accept the gratitude of someone I saved. Shouldn't I? I can't even believe Lord Sesshomaru agreed to all of this. He can't stand humans and he's about to be in a village full of them. Weird! I wonder how he's taking all this. I hope he is not cross."_

Rin brushed through her hair with her fingers nervously as she looked up to look back at the young Lord Akio. He was very handsome. She shook her head to shake the impure thoughts. She tried distracting herself by talking to Sesshomaru.

"My Lord, do you think Ah Un will be alright?" Rin asked, knowing they had had to leave him behind.

"Hn? You know he'll be fine. He will return when I call for him."

Sesshomaru was too inside of his own head to notice the looks that the two humans were giving each other. He wondered why he was going along to a human village even though he knew the reason. _Rin._ He chided himself that he had let Rin have any control over the situation, if he had just said no he would not be heading to the human village right now. But again, he was thinking of her wants, which made him feel weak.

"Here we are!" Akio shouted, smiling. "This is my village."

Rin went wide eyed at the place before her. This was a large village, with plenty of people and a large center with a fountain. It was a very neat village, much cleaner and nicer than the one that she had lived in. Sesshomaru took notice to the girl's shock.

"Now we don't get demons too often here, so excuse the villagers if they seem a little startled by your appearance. They will cause no fuss as long as you are all with me." Akio said to the group.

Akio led them through the center of the town and everybody bowed their heads in respect at the young man that Rin saved. But the people gave the newcomers strange looks, as he warned. None of them dared to ask anything, but they could tell that the people were a little scared of the little demon and even moreso, the strange regal looking man that seemed otherworldly. Sesshomaru's very presence mad people fear him, which he liked.

Rin hoped that this walk would end soon, as she wanted to get away from the people and their ugly stares. She kept her eyes away from theirs and walked forward silently. Before long, they were at the doors of a castle. It was a very beautiful building decorated with flowers.

"Lord Akio, you look pale! And you are soaked! Are you alright?" one of the guards asked, as he opened the door for their Lord and his guests to enter.

"Thanks to my guest, yes. I am fine." Akio said and without further explaining himself, led everyone into the building.

There were a few servants bustling about, they all lowered their heads when they saw Akio cross their path. They didn't bother to stand around looking at the guests, as they quickly returned to whatever it was that they were doing. Rin took notice to the interior of this grand home. The walls were lined with paintings and pottery.

An old woman dressed in a regal multilayer kimono came running over to Akio. A scrawny old man with a similar regal dress followed her at his own pace. They were both rigid looking creatures, with sharp features. The woman embraced Akio and reached for his forehead.

"My son! Are you sick? You are soaked! What happened? Who are your guests?" The woman looked over to the strange crowd worriedly and then back at Akio.

Akio smiled down at the old woman and held her hands together.

"Mother, I am fine. Don't worry for me so. I have some people for you to meet. But I want to make them comfortable first. So why don't you have the servants lead our guests to the meeting room so we all may sit. Have them bring tea and food for our guests, too! I must change and then I will meet you there." Akio said, turning to look at Rin before he spoke to them. 

The old woman nodded and gave them one more glance before she took off, taking the old man with her before she left. Rin watched the old couple speak among themselves as they disappeared. It was clear that the woman had been Lord Akio's mother and so the old man must be his father. She smiled at the thought that this man still had both of his parents and they worried for him. She didn't think of her parents often, but now was one of those times. Rin missed them.

A servant girl came running over to greet them while another darted down the hallway. Akio nodded to her as she lowered her head.

"Ami, these are our guests that you will be bringing to the meeting room. You will make them comfortable and make sure they have everything they need." Sesshomaru silently took note of how wealthy Lord Akio must be to have all these nice rooms and things. It was nothing compared to his mother's palace but it was impressive for a mere human.

The girl lead them down the hall and opened a door for them to enter. The room was big and lined with scrolls and paintings.

"Please be seated, my Lord and Lady as well as Lord Akio will join you soon. Is there anything you might need?" Ami asked quietly.

Rin looked to Ami and smiled.

"No we should be fine, thank you very much."

As soon as Ami turned to leave the room, Rin looked to Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken and gave them a funny look.

"Do you see this place? Wow." Rin said in astonishment.

Sesshomaru nodded, unenthused, and went to go sit down in the center of the room. Jaken followed him, chiding Rin on the way.

"You silly girl, this is putting us way off course. Why'd you have to go and save that human, huh? You didn't have to accept his invitation."

Rin rolled her eyes at Jaken before following them to sit down.

"Well, I think it's time I pick the course for once, even if it is only a couple days. Don't you think?"

Sesshomaru flinched at this and Jaken scowled.

"Spoiled brat! Don't you dare try to act as if you are of any authority here. Why, my Lord could snatch you out of this palace anytime he chooses."

"I'm just saying, look where my good deed landed us." Rin said, putting her hands on her hips.

Sesshomaru looked over to her looking around in astonishment.

"Don't assume this Sesshomaru finds any of this nearly as impressive as you do." He said with an air of arrogance. "I do not mingle with humans because I enjoy to. This is merely business as this man obviously has a debt he wishes to repay to you."

Rin nodded and twirled her hair around nervously wanting to ask Sesshomaru a question but not finding the words to say without risking her Lord's dismay. Sesshomaru noticed this as he sat there with his eyes half closed. Rin paced in front of him, back and forth.

"Speak, already, if you have something to say." He demanded.

Rin knelt down beside him, still twirling her hair in a funny fashion and looking at him lovingly. Sesshomaru hated how Rin could make him feel so out of sorts when she did these things in front of him. Her chestnut eyes bore into him like flames. She would do this when she wanted something from him, and usually, if the request wasn't too farfetched, Rin would get what she wanted at the end of the day.

"I was just wondering.." Rin started. "Since I saved him and all, I might be able to speak with the young Lord Akio. I did kind of save the poor guy and all and-"

"You have my permission to speak to him, if that is your wish." Sesshomaru said, reluctantly. He didn't want this dashing Lord hanging around his Rin but he relented, knowing that it was silly to keep her from speaking to the very person she saved from the river.

Rin smiled at Sesshomaru before sitting down next to him. Jaken sat across from them. Two mintues later, Akio opened the door and some servants followed him in with food and drinks for the crowd. They quickly left and Akio went to go sit down with them. Rin thought this man looked ten times more attractive dry.

"Thank you for waiting. I hope you are all hungry."

"Thank you, Lord Akio, this all looks great." Said Rin, with a smile on her face. She sampled a few pieces of fish and nodded.

Akio, surprised with her sudden talking, smiled widely.

"It is me who owes you thanks, Miss Rin, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be here right now. I am still dealing with my brush with death today so forgive me if I sound forward, but you are truly an angel. My parents are going to adore you."

Just as soon as he said it, both the old woman and the old man from earlier in the halls joined them in the meeting room. The old woman hurriedly sat down as the old man slowly but surely sat down next to her. The man was obviously elderly as he looked like he could go any day now. But the woman was a bit younger than him, with still a lot of life in her. The woman looked to guests and let out a fake smile.

"May I introduce my mother, Lady Mai and my father, Lord Eito."

Lord Sesshomaru nodded to them, as well as Jaken and Rin.

"Mother, father, this is Lord Sesshomaru and his assistant Jaken." Akio started. "And this is Miss Rin."

They both nodded to their guests and smiled courteously.

"Lord Sesshomaru, huh?" said the old Lord Eito, in a very raspy voice. "I've heard that name somewhere before. You could not possibly be the son of the great dog demon InuTaisho, could you? It is clear from your appearance that you are not of the human world and I have heard many stories of the valiant demon Lord who watches over the western lands."

Sesshomaru looked at the man and thought this man must be ancient to know of him and his father. Not many humans took an interest in the world of demons but this man obviously knew what he was talking about, which impressed Sesshomaru.

"I am. How do you know about me and my father? Most humans stay out of demon affairs. You seem thoroughly schooled, though."

"I was always a spokesperson for human and demon affairs as a young man, you might say I met my fair share of noble demons before I took over for my father here in the village. But this is the first time I am meeting one of the great dog demons that I've heard so much about. I'm just wondering how I could possibly deserve to be in your presence right now, on this day. I truly am honored to meet you."

Sesshomaru nodded in approval at the man's knowledge. Aiko took a turn to speak then.

"Father, I have something to tell you and mother. Today when I was sailing my boat for sport out on the river, the boat was crushed on a rock and I nearly sank to my death."

"My son, how many times have I told you not to go out alone on that god forsaken river?" Lady Mai interjected.

"Mother, please. Just when I thought all was over for me, a beautiful girl came to my rescue and yanked me from the jaws of death. Miss Rin, I thank you."

Lady Mai turned to Rin, and for the first time really looked her over. The woman was speechless. But his father was very happy with his son's savior.

"Miss Rin, I thank you humbly for saving the life of my son, Akio. Without him, this village would surely crumble to the ground."

"Oh, it was nothing, really. I was just at the right place at the right time. And knew how to swim."

"Like a fish! I've never seen anything like it. You must teach me, Miss Rin!" Akio laughed in joy and his parents smiled. They had never seen their son speak so fondly of someone he just met.

Rin blushed at Lord Akio's compliment. They exchanged looks at each other for the next hour as they spoke with the people around them. Sesshomaru of course was mostly silent, only speaking to answer questions but mostly letting Jaken do the talking. Until Lord Eito asked Lord Sesshomaru for a private conversation elsewhere in the room where the two could speak politics and human/demon affairs. Sesshomaru was reluctant to do this, but obliged.

But everytime he looked across the room he would see Rin's blushing face and batting eyelashes directed towards the young Lord. It made something inside him stir with an emotion he didn't quite understand. It was like anger, but more obsessive. He dismissed his own feelings, as he normally did.

"So, Rin, why do follow a great demon Lord such as Sesshomaru?" Lady Mai asked with a smirk on her face. "Does that not seem strange to you?"

"Strange? Uh, no. I've been with him and Jaken since I was little. Maybe it would seem strange to people who have spent their whole lives around other people, though." Rin answered.

"That is fascinating, Miss Rin. You must have had a very interesting life thus far." Akio said. His mother huffed.

Before the group knew it, it was getting late. The Lord and Lady excused themselves so they could return to their chambers. Akio called a few servants in to have them show each of them to the room they would occupy that night. A young male servant brought Sesshomaru to a room far on the left side of the building. Jaken of course insisted on being put in the same room as his Lord, which Sesshomaru agreed to.

Rin was being led down the hall by the servant girl she met earlier, Ami. She quickly became friendly with the girl as she insisted on chatting with her on the way to the room. Ami smiled at the lively girl that was about her age. Ami was a bit shorter than Rin, with small brown eyes and short hair.

"So, Ami, what is the young Lord like?" Rin asked, leaning in towards the girl.

"He runs a tight ship, but is a fair Master. I am glad to be serving him." Ami said, not wanting to speak too much.

"And handsome, mind you." Rin whispered, which made Ami giggle. "You know it, don't you?"

Ami blushed. "It is not a servants place to find their Master attractive or unattractive."

Rin gave her a small push. "Oh, come on. Surely you must have an opinion."

Ami had a funny smile on her face and merely nodded her head at Rin, making Rin laugh.

"Well, these are your chambers for tonight. This is the east wing. Might you be needing anything, you can come find me. I should be about the halls tonight." Ami said, bowing her head and opening the door for Rin to enter. Ami took off before Rin could say anything else.

It was a nice room that she would be resting in. Although it was strange having a place to sleep away from Lord Sesshomaru. She had become quite used to sleeping near him and even preferred it. Rin thought fondly of her Lord, as she began to lay down. She thought of his stern, yet gentle face and his eyes that burned into your soul. The image of him put her nearly to sleep.

" _Wow, what a day it has been. I still can't believe I've saved someone's life today. Just as Sesshomaru saved my life so long ago. I wonder how he is doing right now."_

Rin heard a tapping on her door. She got up and opened the door a pinch to see who it was, silently hoping it was her Lord. But to her surprise, the young Lord Akio was standing there.

"Miss Rin, please. If you are awake enough, I'd like you to go for a walk with me."

"Lord Akio. I don't know if I should." Rin said, thinking of Sesshomaru. But she felt an overwhelming need to just go and speak with him. "But okay, not too long though."

Rin exited the room and followed Akio down the hallway. He slowed down to walk beside her.

"Let's go to the gardens." Akio said, leading her to a big door at the end of the hallway.

When they got to the garden, Rin couldn't believe all the different kinds of flowers they had here. She cupped one in her hands gently and smelled it before turning to Akio.

"This is a really beautiful place. Tell me, what is the meaning of you bringing me out at night to speak to me?" Rin asked, curiously as she walked slowly through the garden. Akio smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well I figured I wanted to talk to you without a bunch of other people around. Is that okay?"

"That's fine." Rin smiled back. "I was just curious."

"You can call me Akio, by the way, when we are alone like this. I don't fancy being formal when it's unnecessary."

"Then you must call me Rin, because this Miss Rin stuff is strange to me." She said back, laughing. Akio liked her laugh. It was not forced or modified.

"Very well, Rin. Please, sit." Akio said, motioning to the bench behind them. Rin sat down gently and he joined her, careful to give her space.

"Rin, tell me about your life, it all seems so very interesting."

"Akio, you first, I insist. I feel like today has been about me. You speak. I want to know more of your family and your village."

"Well, there isn't much to say. I was born and raised here by my mother and father and a bunch of caretakers. Life was pretty much a breeze as a child, I played a lot. Lessons at noon every day. Nothing too exciting. I learned politics and of course, how to handle a sword. My mother was always protective of me, as I am her only child and the sole heir of my father's position. So I have never seen much beyond the village. I feel as if I have already taken over as Lord of the village as my father has grown old. I take a lot of the responsibility here."

Rin nodded and listened to Akio speak of his family and his life. It made her think back to her own childhood before Lord Sesshomaru. Scrounging around and fishing for food at night, no idea when she was going to eat next. Forget lessons, she was a poor mute child that no one was going to even speak to much less teach. Their lives had certainly been different.

"Tell me about you Rin."

Rin let out a deep breath and then began to tell her life story. From being a poor starving mute to how she found Sesshomaru when he was injured. She told him of the wolves that took her life and how Lord Sesshomaru so graciously returned it to her. She spoke of her adventures, Naraku and the Shikon Jewel. Rin spoke of her friends Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha. And she couldn't forget about Kaede. Rin must have talked for over an hour while Akio sat back in amazement at her story. Surely, Rin has lived much more in her young life than he had in his.

"How old are you Rin?"

"Fifteen very soon. And you?"

"You've lived so much in such short of a time. I am 26 and I have not lived a day of excitement. I envy you."

Rin felt as if she were being watched all of a sudden and stood.

"Well I should get back to the room. Do you wish to escort me back?" Rin asked. Akio obliged and stood up, leading Rin back to her guest chamber.

Sesshomaru was sitting on the roof of the castle, looking down upon the gardens. He had seen most of the interaction between Rin and Akio and was silent but thoughtful. He watched patiently as the two moved and spoke in rhythm with one another. Closing his eyes, he heard Rin's voice tell the story of them. The feeling he had had earlier was starting to set in again and Sesshomaru pushed the feeling away. Rin had taken such a hold of him as of late and this was surely going to end one way or another.

The demon Lord argued with himself as he watched the two young people interact with one another.

" _I should go behead the young Lord right now for daring to take my Rin out in secret. No, why should I care if he is showing interest in her? He is a young Lord. Human, at that. This Sesshomaru should be glad that Rin is having normal human interactions with someone of such high status. But why aren't I? Rin, why do your actions torment me so? How dare you make me feel such anger as this without doing anything wrong? As much as I do not want the day to come that you will no longer follow me, I will be relieved of these nonsensical emotions I endure. For surely if you stayed, these emotions may just lead me to become.. No, not him. I will never be him."_

Sesshomaru stood up and started to make his way back to the room after Rin and Akio headed back inside. He nodded to himself gently. _"The tides of change are upon us."_

The next two days, he remained very silent. He hung around the gardens and looked up at the sky a lot, deep in his own mind. He looked almost peaceful, the way he walked around gracefully.

As for Rin, her and Akio were spending a bunch of time together. Jaken was usually close by, as to make sure the young Lord and Rin were not left alone long enough to do anything they might regret. They went into the village together a few times and people here seemed friendly enough. They all bowed their heads in respect at the young Lord and looked on curiously at this girl who seemed to have him smitten.

Sesshomaru was strolling around in the gardens when he overheard a conversation from far away. It was Lord Akio and Lady Mai, and it sounded serious.

"Are you sure that's what you want? I mean she is nice enough, my dear son. But she seems poorly educated and she's much too tan skinned for a lady."

"Mother, she is perfect. She saved my life and is so much more amazing than any other girl I might ever meet."

Lady Mai sighed. "Okay, I will speak to your father, but don't get your hopes up, my son."

Sesshomaru felt a pang in his chest. His teeth clamped together. He couldn't believe what he had just overheard. They were surely talking about her. Was this really happening? Just then, he saw Rin walking up the path. She saw him and strided over, holding a bunch of flowers.

"For you, my Lord." Rin said, holding out the flowers. She had a huge smile on her face and her long hair was covering one of her eyes, in a messy fashion. He looked at the flowers and began to walk away from her. Rin's smile instantly dropped and she started following him.

"What is the matter, my Lord? Why do you ignore me? You haven't spoken to me in two days." She sounded like she could cry right that minute. Sesshomaru turned around to face her.

"This Sesshomaru does not speak because he wishes not to. Why do you assume it has anything to do with you?"

"I just know it's me. I can stop talking to the young Lord if that is your wish. We can leave this very moment without saying good bye. Just please speak to me. I need you." Rin said, desperately wanting to throw her arms around him but did not want to test his patience.

Sesshomaru looked at Rin for a couple minutes, checking her face. The girl had no idea that the young Lord had been speaking to his mother about her in the ways he was. This may be a one sided affection. No, he had seen the way she batted her eyes at the young Lord. Even if she did not know it, she had surely fallen for this human man.

"Do not be silly, Rin. You do not need this Sesshomaru." He said before turning on his heel to walk away, leaving Rin standing there with a bunch of flowers in her hands. She looked absolutely destroyed as she threw the flowers to the ground and ran back to her guest chamber. Akio had seen her in distress and followed her to the room. He knocked on the door gently.

"Rin? Are you okay?"

"He hates me. He really does hate me."

"Who could hate you, Rin? I'm sure whatever it is, it is not so bad."

"I'm a horrid girl, Akio."

"Don't you say those things. That's not true. May I come in?"

"Please no, I just want to be alone right now."

Akio felt bad as he removed himself from her door and walked away quietly. Halfway down the hall, Ami came to him and bowed her head.

"Master Akio, the Lord and Lady wish for you to go see them."

Later on that evening, a servant came to Lord Sesshomaru's guest chamber and knocked on the door. Something inside him hoped that Rin was on the other side of the door, even though he could clearly smell that it was someone else.

"Enter."

The servant opened the door frightened, not daring to enter a room with a demon as grand as him in it. She bowed her head.

"Lord Sesshomaru, your presence is requested in the meeting room."

"Very well." Sesshomaru already knew what was going on. For the first time in a very very long time he felt fear creep into his soul. Fear that he was going to make a rash decision soon. As he walked slowly up the hall, he felt his eyebrows tighten.

" _Tonight is going to be a hard night. But I know what needs to be done. I've known what needed to happen for years now, I just have been avoiding this. It's time for this Sesshomaru to do something for the benefit of Rin, whether or not it is my desire."_

He entered the meeting room as the young Lord Akio was leaving it.

"Lord Sesshomaru." He said respectfully, nodding his head before heading down the hall. Sesshomaru watched him disappear down the hall, with a glare on his face before he entered the room.

Sitting in this room were both Lady Mai and Lord Eito, both looking a little nervous.

"Lord Sesshomaru, my friend, please sit." Lord Eito greeted him with a smile on his face. "Would you like any tea?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Lord Sesshomaru said as he went to sit directly across from the couple.

"Well, then, I know you are not the type to beat around the bush, so I will skip all the pleasantries and get straight down to why we asked for you to be here with us." Eito started. "As you may have noticed, my son Aiko has taken a liking to Miss Rin."

"I have noticed." Sesshomaru said, plainly. This might as well be the most forced conversation he may have ever had in his entire time on this earth. He wasn't enjoying a second of it.

"Typically, we would have brought her parents to come have this discussion with us." Lady Mai interrupted. "But seeing as she doesn't seem to have any, and she is your responsibility, we thought it was only proper to have this discussion with you."

Lord Eito looked to his wife and she to him. She nodded almost in agreement to let him be the one to finish the thought.

"We would like you to consider marrying your Rin to our Akio. If this is out of line for us to ask you, please forgive us."

Sesshomaru sat in silence for a minute. His mind was racing. He knew what they were going to ask him this question but now that it was spoken he felt stiff. He felt like backing out at this moment and leaving with Rin that very night. But he stopped himself, nodding to himself that he must go through with the decision that was hard, but already made up in his mind.

"It is not out of line to ask. Rin is a human. Akio is a human. It only makes sense that they should be together. The time for Rin to join her own kind has come. This Sesshomaru will be relieved that she is returned to people."

Akio's parents smiled at Lord Sesshomaru. "Well wonderful, then! I am glad for this! Miss Rin will be happy here and we will be happy to have her with us. Not to mention my son will be thrilled." Eito chimed. "Might you celebrate with us? Some sake maybe? This is a happy occasion."

Sesshomaru looked down at the floor. He did it. He finally agreed to let go of Rin. And it only took five minutes of his time. He felt his body burn furiously.

"I must decline. I have to prepare for my leave tomorrow morning." Sesshomaru said, standing up.

"You will not stay past tonight? Surely, you would want to be at the wedding, Lord Sesshomaru." Lady Mai argued.

"I would not. I am a very important person who is needed elsewhere."

"Very well, then. Thank you for taking the time to see us and for allowing Miss Rin to join our family. She will be very happy here." Eito said, sensing Lord Sesshomaru's negative vibes.

Sesshomaru nodded to them and started out the door. When he opened the door, the servant Ami came crashing to the floor. He glared at her. She had obviously been listening in. Ami came onto her knees and bowed her head, frightened of the demon before her. He huffed and made his way down the hallway to his room and closed the door behind him.

Lord Sesshomaru sat down in the middle of the floor and closed his eyes. _"I have done it. I have given Rin away and she doesn't even know it, yet. I will tell her myself. Tonight in the gardens. Rin will no longer follow me. No more laughing. No more flowers. No more Rin."_ Sesshomaru's mind tormented him with the decision he made. _"For once, this Sesshomaru is selfless. I did it for her."_

Meanwhile, Ami was bolting down the hallway to the east wing to get to Rin's door. She had become very comfortable with the girl and she felt like this was something that the girl would want to know right away. She herself would want someone to tell her immediately if that were her situation.

"Miss Rin! It's Ami, let me in, please."

Rin opened the door, her cheeks red from crying. "Ami? What is it?"

Ami let herself in and took a deep breath. "I feel as a friend to you, so I must tell you now that I've overheard your Lord and Lord Akio's parents speaking together and they were speaking of you."

Rin was startled. "What about? Why would they speak of me?"

"Lord Sesshomaru agreed that you and Lord Akio should be married." Ami said meekly.

"He WHAT?!" Rin felt a rush of heat like burning coals down her back and in her eyes. Her mind was hanging on by a string. How could this happen? It must be a mistake.

"Your Lord agreed that you should be with other people and now you are to be married to my Lord." Ami clarified, feeling bad for the girl in front of her as it was obviously not what she wanted to hear. "I am sorry if this displeases you."

Rin nodded to Ami, her mind going black. She began to stumble into the hallway. Rin didn't feel like herself. Someone else had surely taken over.

" _What of my choices? Do I have no say in anything? How could he?!"_

Sesshomaru was sitting down with his back against the wall of the room with his legs crossed, when he heard the thick footsteps banging down the hallway and braced himself for what might be a very unusual Rin. He was hoping that he would get to her before anybody else did. That servant girl must have opened her mouth to Rin. He kept his eyes closed as he heard the door slam open.

"How could you?!" Rin yelled, slamming the door behind her and whipping around to face him. He remained silent with his eyes closed. "How could you do this to me?! Don't you ignore me!" She was seething with rage.

Sesshomaru was already in a foul mood to begin with. But he remained calm as Rin angrily stomped towards him.

"You would have had to join other people at some point. It would be best for the both of us if you took this opportunity. I've seen the way you look at this human."

Rin held her head and screamed, almost in pain. "Don't you dare assume that you know how I feel about anybody seeing as you can't even see how I feel about you!"

He felt himself wilt a little. He knew exactly how Rin felt about him, but thought it best he ignore them.

"You forget yourself, girl. Don't test my patience. What I did is for your own good."

Rin kicked over a vase and hid her face in the wall, going weak with pain. "No.. no..no..no..this can't be happening. How could you do this to me.. You wouldn't." She mumbled into the wall.

"You will see in time that I made the right decision." He said, sternly.

Rin dropped onto her knees and cried aloud which made Sesshomaru open his eyes.

"You can't do this to me! After so many years.. You have no right." She cried.

"I have every right to do what I see fit." He assured her, becoming angrier by the minute. The fact she was fighting it was making his decision all the more hard. He wanted more than ever to make her stop crying but he stayed firm. He didn't want to show any weakness.

"I gave you my life." She stammered, while folding her hands together in front of her, tears running down her pink cheeks. "And you're just throwing me away as if I never mattered."

Sesshomaru felt a pang in his chest from these words. He wanted more than ever to take everything back at that moment. He extended both of his hands and wrapped his fingers through her hair as he caught a hold of her head, bringing her face closer as to look her in the eyes. Rin was startled by the movement and her eyes went wide, looking up at him.

"If you didn't matter, did you think I would have even bothered saving you from the depths of the afterlife not once, but twice?" Sesshomaru growled, holding the girls face still in front of him. "If you did not matter, why would I be here right now?"

Rin looked up at her Lord and seemed speechless for a few seconds and then she threw her arms around him, crying deeply into his chest as he loosened his grip on her. Sesshomaru kept a single hand on the middle of her back as she bawled into him, making his entire soul weak to the touch.

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru. Don't make me do this. I don't want you to leave me. I don't care for him the way I care for you. I need you." Rin pleaded, which made Sesshomaru shudder. He did not want those things ever said aloud, because then they might consume him. He couldn't allow himself to become entranced with Rin anymore than he already was. This made his decision all the more solidified. He closed his eyes and held Rin there, close to him.

"If you care for me, you will do as I say and go through with this. I need you to live among other people. We both know what happened to my father and Izayoi. That is not what I want for you. You cannot end up like her."

Rin lifted her gaze and looked back up into his eyes. Did he just admit that he cared for her as his father cared for Izayoi? This was a Sesshomaru she never saw before. He was much softer. He was in a weakened state she'd never seen before.

"So I just go ahead and marry someone I just met because you will it?" Rin asked, her crying was over, but her face was red and puffy. She shook her head.

"No, you do it because it is wise. You are going to be the Lady of this castle. You will have a privileged life. Because it is the best option you're ever going to get."

Rin looked at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe he had opened up like this to her. But she was still very angry at him, even as she kept her arms around him. He put his hand under her chin as he had many times before and laid a kiss on her forehead. Rin gasped when he did this, and let go of her embrace on him. He had never done such a thing before.

Sesshomaru himself couldn't believe what he had just done. His sorrow and softness were quickly changing within him. Anger was taking over. He pulled away and stood up, looming over her.

" _How did I ever allow myself to become so close to Rin? Why did I allow her screams and cries to soften me? I am becoming my father. No.. I am not becoming him. I will never be him."_

"I must leave now before I do something that will lead to regret." Sesshomaru stated.

Rin felt numb as she rose to her feet. "So you think you will meet your demise if you love me in return? You think the great dog demon will be destroyed. You have surpassed your father in power, but yet you are too scared to have what you truly want. I did not know there was even a smidge of cowardice on you. But it is very clear now."

At this, Sesshomaru's anger fled to high heights. Had his Rin just called him a coward? He felt his body move towards her, his eyes flashing red. Rin gasped as she walked backwards as he advanced on her. This was the first time she felt any fear for him. She bumped into the wall behind her and looked up at him, his red eyes piercing through her soul. He reached out for her and she cried out.

His demeanor changed almost immediately when heard her scream. He could never hurt Rin ever. This would always happen, even if his demonic anger willed him to punish her insolence. She was untouchable because he felt so much for her. Every other creature on this planet could be destroyed. But not Rin.

Rin still had her eyes closed, wincing. He looked at her scared face for minute and felt that pain in his chest return. He quickly turned around and went to go out the door. He took one look back at Rin before leaving.

" _I have made my Rin fear me. Can I ever forget that face?"_

When she reopened her eyes, she could see him, disappearing out the door. She felt herself drop to her knees and put her face in her hands and wept.

" _He left me here. He's gone. My Lord, don't leave me here. I love you."_

(Thank you for reading. This story is no where near over. I wouldn't do that to you guys. Rin and Sess will meet again! So don't be mad at me! Chapter 9 soon)


	9. C9: Loss

Chapter 9: Loss

 _It was a rainy day and little Rin hadn't really felt it until it was too late. She was shivering all over as she walked behind Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken. She had only been following them for a few weeks now and although she had tried to speak- no words came out yet. Sesshomaru was paying no mind to the rain as he didn't have to worry about such things as getting wet. The rain came straight down onto him and he felt just as comfortable as he would on a sunny summer morning. That's when he heard the teeth chattering and stopped to look behind to see the child he resurrected, very cold, soaked to the bone and shaking furiously. He made his way over to her and looked at her._

" _I think the human girl is getting sick from the rain. She looks very cold, sire." Jaken advised his Lord._

" _Hn. How fragile it is. Let's find the child somewhere to dry off." Sesshomaru ordered._

 _Not too soon after, they found the perfect spot. A shallow cave with nothing prowling about in it. Jaken sat down on the edge and looked out into the rain. The girl followed Sesshomaru into the cave and sat down when he did, a good distance away as to not invade his personal space. The dog demon thought it amusing how the human child seemed to shadow him. She seemed relieved from the rain and everything was calm for a few minutes before she began to shake again. Sesshomaru looked over to the pathetic creature and felt the need to stop this._

" _What is it now, girl? You are out of the rain."_

 _Rin's clothes were soaked and it was colder inside the cave. She parted her lips and started to try to say something._

" _C-c-c" RIn paused. "C-c-cold"_

 _Sesshomaru lifted his eyebrow. This was the first time he had heard the mute child try to speak. He felt himself wanting to hear more._

" _Come here, child. Warm yourself." He ordered._

 _Rin stood up and made her way closer to him and found a nice spot near his hip. She snuggled up to his side, pulling some of his kimono to her and smiled deeply as she stopped shaking. Sesshomaru looked down at the pathetic creature curiously before looking away._

" _You spoke. That means you can speak again." He said, inviting her to use her voice._

 _The young human girl looked up to him and nodded before she started to attempt speaking again._

" _R-R-Rin." The girl said and then smiled. "M-m-my n-n-name. Rin."_

 _Sesshomaru nodded in approval at the child underneath him and leaned back as she used him as a cushion._

" _Very well… Rin."_

Rin laid down on the floor and looked absently at the wall to the side of her, memories flashing through her mind. She had no idea how long she had been lying there, but her whole body had gone numb. People had come to knock several times but she ignored them. The other night was a very life changing night for her and she couldn't find it in her body to move. She didn't want to move. There was a strong aura of sorrow leaking from her absent body.

" _He really left me. What a coward. I cannot believe him. But I love him. He did this for me right? Silly, girl! Rin, you are too forgiving. You need to hate him for what he's done. But why don't you? Why does my entire soul insist on loving him unconditionally? Lord Sesshomaru, can I love you and hate you at the same time?"_

Rin decided it was time to get up before she was consumed with her feelings. Her body tingled all over as she tried to rise, taking a minute to get all of her sleeping limbs working. She passed the servants and the other people in the hall. No one seemed to notice her. Rin found the door that led to the garden and opened it. The sun came down on her harshly, burning into her eyes. It must have been past noon. Stumbling into the garden, she saw a large board standing out in the field. It was the kind of board that people used for archery, but yet it was unoccupied and she didn't see anyone around.

Rin made her way over to the target board and ran her fingers against it, feeling the broken and used wood. She had hoped that the trip to the garden would make her feel a little better and that maybe she could try to reason with herself. But then she would see His face in the back of her mind. She felt nothing but anger and sorrow.

Tracing the chalked circles on the board, Rin closed her eyes before letting loose. She began hitting the center of the target with her fist. Furiously, she just kept hitting and hitting with all the rage one could possess.

" _Sesshomaru! Will I ever erase you from my mind?!"_

Lord Akio walked out of the castle with a look of worry on his face. He hadn't seen his bride-to-be since the other day and figured something must be very wrong. When his parents told him the day before that Lord Sesshomaru had given his consent to take Rin as his bride, he was happier than ever. But how did she feel? He looked into the gardens and saw a woman punching furiously into one of his target boards. When he realized who it was, he gasped and ran as fast as he could.

Rin was releasing horrible sounds as she pounded into the jagged and broken wood. Her skin was coming clear off of her knuckles but she just kept going. Her mind and body were at wits end. She needed to release this energy. She gasped as two arms wrapped around her and pulled her back, making her stumble onto her knees.

"Rin, please stop! You're bleeding everywhere." Akio shouted, holding onto her waist from behind, crouching as to hold her delicate frame. He couldn't believe how much power the young girl had demonstrated. There was nearly a hole through the board.

Rin looked at her hand and let out a cry of pain, finally realizing what she had put her body through.

Akio lifted her to her feet and turned her body around, taking her hand into his to check out the wounds. The skin on her knuckles were gone, and there was a lot of blood and splinters. Rin looked at him, finally.

"Lord Akio.." She started, feeling nothing but pain.

"It's okay, let's go get you bandaged up." He answered, wanting to address her wounded hand before anything else. He put one hand behind her back and held her wounded hand up with the other, leading her into the castle. He snapped at a very shocked looking Ami.

"Ami, go into the village and bring the doctor here. We will be in my room." He ordered. Ami didn't say a word. She looked at Rin's hand in disgust for a second before she bowed her head and ran out the front doors.

Akio led Rin down the hall until they got to his room, gently ushering her inside. The room must have been the most grand here. But Rin paid no mind as she looked at her hand. Akio sat her down and went into one of his chests as he pulled out a white cloth. He quickly returned to Rin, wrapping her bleeding hand in the cloth. Rin hissed at the pain of anything touching her raw hand, and then looked to the floor. She was embarrassed and upset.

"Ami will return with the doctor, soon." He said, gently. Looking at Rin as to try to read her face. But she kept her head lowered, so he could not.

"I told you I was a horrid girl, Akio." She stated, some tears falling to the floor.

"No, you are not horrid. Everybody gets angry. I've certainly had my moments. You are a good person, I know this."

Rin was confused by the man in front of her. She was angry that he had his parents ask Lord Sesshomaru for her hand before even bothering to ask how she felt about him. But she tried not to be too angry with him for wanting her. He was a handsome guy. But the problem was Akio wasn't Lord Sesshomaru. He really could never live up to him. But she told her she shouldn't be pining for her Lord still after giving her away like he did.

"I apologize for my episode in the gardens. I was not myself. Or maybe too much of myself. Either way it will not happen again." Was all she could really get out.

"There is no need to apologize, Rin. I understand." He said reassuringly.

"Akio, I don't expect you to understand me. I fear I will never see Lord Sesshomaru again. He is all I know. I lost him and Master Jaken overnight, and didn't even get to say goodbye because I was so upset at him. Now I am here around a bunch of people I just met and I'm so scared." Rin tears were falling faster, now. Lord Akio looked at the young lady and sighed before cupping one of her cheeks in his hand.

"Rin, look at me." Akio said, lifting her gaze to his. "You have nothing to be afraid of. I'm here." He looked so honest, and warm. "I'm sorry if I caused all this. I couldn't help falling for you so suddenly."

Rin was battling with herself to push him off and scream at him that it was his fault for asking without her permission first. But then she reminded herself that it was Lord Sesshomaru that sealed the deal. If she were to be angry at anyone, it should be him.

"It is not your fault. He would have been rid of me, either way." Rin felt her heart drop at her own words.

"Rin, I-" Akio was cut off by the door being opened suddenly and the doctor walking in. He was an old man with a strict face and had obviously done a lot of frowning in his day.

"Lord Akio" The doctor said, nodding his head to him. Akio returned the nod.

"Well let's see it, then." The old doctor sighed, sitting down in front of Rin. She looked at him, intimidated and let him take her shaking, bloody hand. As the doctor unwrapped the cloth, she hissed and made faces.

He made thinking noises as he investigated her hand.

"Well, there's no broken bones. But we'll have to take out all these splinters and sterilize it." The doctor said.

Rin looked nervously as he picked out a tool from his bag. She hadn't had an injury like this since she was little and couldn't even remember what it was like. Rin pulled her hand back over to herself defensively.

"No, that's okay. I'll be alright. Thank you." She said hesitantly.

Akio looked at Rin and let out a small smile at her childish refusal to let the doctor see her hand. He reminded himself she must not be used to other people, having traveled with demons most of her life, and a strange man coming at her with a foreign tool would be intimidating.

"Rin, I'm not going to promise you that it won't hurt. But if you leave it like this, it'll get worse. I'll be here, though. You can lean on me." Akio reassured her.

Rin looked at Akio and then back to the doctor. She slowly gave the doctor her hand and let Akio become closer to her. He put his hands on her waist gently. The doctor started going to work on her hand, plucking each splinter out of her poor hand. Rin shrieked each time he did so, making Akio's heart sink. Tears fell down her cheeks as he looked over her hand to make sure he had gotten every last splinter out.

"Now we have to sterilize." The doctor said, returning the tool to his bag and bringing out a bottle of clear liquid and started dabbing it on a cloth. "It's not going to feel pleasant."

Before Rin could even respond, the doctor had taken a hold of her wrist and started going over her wounds with the damp cloth. Rin let out a scream that pierced through Akio's ears, and he held her tighter to him. And then the deed was done. The doctor wrapped up her hand with some new cloth and stood up, nodding his head at Akio.

"Lord Akio."

"Thank you very much, old friend. Your payment will reach your door by the end of the night." Akio said nodding back to him.

Just like that, the doctor was gone and it was just Rin and Akio together. He held her tight to him as she breathed quickly, looking at her newly bandaged hand. Akio nuzzled his face into the back of her hair, breathing in her scent. Rin felt his comfort and did not fight it. It felt nice to once again have the arms of a man wrapped around her, whether or not it was the one she loved. She turned around and met his embrace by throwing her thin arms around his waist and digging her face in his big, manly chest.

Akio blushed at this development and held her body close to his. He couldn't believe that she was showing him such affection after all she'd been through in the past couple of days. But he certainly didn't mind it.

Rin lifted her head to look into his eyes. They were gentle and kind. He looked back at Rin and smiled at how messy she looked. Her cheeks were all red and her wavy hair was strewn about everywhere messily. But it only made him more attracted to her. He smiled at her and let out a small chuckle.

"Rin, you look a mess." He chuckled, brushing some of her locks with his fingers and tracing her cheek with the other hand.

Rin looked at him chuckling at her messy disposition and for the first time in days, began to let out a smile. She thought she must look so silly like this. She covered her mouth with her sleeve embarrassedly before Akio brought his hand up to remove it. Rin tried to bring it up again and he did the same thing again. It was his wish to see the smiles that graced her face.

"Stop it!" She laughed, turning her face away from him. "You tease."

"And you dislike it?" He answered back, turning her face to his with his hand. "I just wish to see the smile that stole me."

Rin relented and smiled at him, looking up at his handsome face. She was beginning to feel a sense of relief and shook her head, in a lighter mood.

" _Damn you for making me smile through all my misery." Rin thought._

"Come. We'll drink tea and make light of this afternoon. You don't have to see anyone else today." Akio said, reassuringly.

Rin smiled. _"I cannot say that I am over my ordeal but I can rest easier knowing I have a friend in Akio."_

 _..._

Jaken was walking briskly in back of his Lord. It had been a day since he saw Sesshomaru storming out of the castle and followed him, not daring to ask what had happened and why Rin was nowhere to be found. He had been walking on eggshells the whole time. He wanted so badly to speak with the dog demon.

" _I bet you something happened between Lord Sesshomaru and Rin. That is why my Lord has been storming about this whole time. Rin! What have you said that has my Lord so angry? And why are you no longer with us? I can't bear to hold my silence any longer. I must know what is going on here."_

"My Lord?" Jaken asked timidly.

"What do you want, Jaken?" Sesshomaru didn't stop to look behind him at all.

"Um, I was just wondering. Why Rin isn't with us anymore?"

SMACK! Sesshomaru lashed out and Jaken cried out and bowed low to the ground, covering his head lest his Master decide to strike him again.

"Please forgive me, my Lord, I was just curious!" He cried.

Sesshomaru glared at him angrily.

"Her name is not to be spoken anymore. I left her behind in the human village, where she belongs."

Sesshomaru felt his chest ache. Hitting Jaken and being angry wasn't going to help how he felt. He was having some very strong feelings about leaving Rin behind. About some of the things Rin had said to him.

" _You have surpassed your father in power, but yet you are too scared to have what you truly want. I didn't think there was a smidge of cowardice in you, but it is very clear now." She had said._

The memory played in his mind, making him angrier.

" _How dare she insult me like that? Who does she think she is? Nobody talks to this Sesshomaru like that. And yet.."_

Sesshomaru's mind played out the whole scenario and it stopped at the face she made when he stopped himself from harming her. That face of fear burned into the back of his mind. He was one of the most feared creatures on the earth and yet he did not want Rin to fear him. Her scream, though long gone, still tormented his being. He was worse off now than when she was within his reach.

Jaken waited until his Lord had resumed walking to rise and start following him again. He rubbed his forehead groggily.

" _Whatever you did, Rin, it must have been horrible. My Lord has never been so angry before."_

He wasn't going to get any further information regarding Rin from Sesshomaru, that was for sure. But Jaken felt a twinge of sorrow over the loss of the human girl. He had taken care of her since the day that Sesshomaru brought her back from the dead. He had watched her grow and play. The child had grown on him right under his nose. He thought the day that Rin was gone would be an excellent day that he would rejoice.

But now that it happened, he was feeling a great loss. He felt almost betrayed that his Lord would separate him from the girl he had cared for without so much as a warning. Jaken made up his mind that he would have to go back and see Rin to check up on her soon when there was a chance in the near future. He walked along and thought of her. Memories of when she was still a child.

" _Master Jaken!" A nine year old Rin shouted. "I made this for you! Isn't it pretty?" She said holding out a flower wreath to him._

" _Rin, you silly thing, what makes you think that I would like to wear something like that?" He responded, crossing his arms. He looked at Rin and she looked pretty distraught at his refusal to accept the gift she made for him. He saw a single tear form at the corner of her eye and relented._

" _If it will prevent you from crying, I will decorate the staff of two heads with it." He said, taking the wreath and wrapping it around his staff. "See? There now isn't that nice."_

" _It does look nice. Master Jaken, you are so smart!" Rin laughed joyously._

Jaken sighed at himself and trudged along, not making a peep to Lord Sesshomaru.

" _My Lord, What could have possibly caused all of this?"_

 _..._

A week had passed since Lord Sesshomaru had left Rin in the village and she was already starting to lighten up a bit. There was still a great depression lingering in her but she kept it well hidden. Akio was laying his head on her lap as they sat under a tree. She had become so much easier with him since the day she hurt her hand. They were inseperable at times. She wanted so badly to distract herself from thinking about Lord Sesshomaru and Akio displayed so much kindness to her. She stroked a hair out of his face.

"Rin, you have something on your face. I think it's a spider." Akio said, pointing at her face.

Rin shrieked and started wiping away at her face.

"Is it gone?!" She yelled aloud. Akio lifted his head from her lap and sat up next to her.

He chuckled at first and ended with a roaring laugh. RIn then realized what happened and hit him gently on the arm.

"Don't do that!" She shouted at him, smiling. He was the type to try and make her laugh by pulling jokes often. It added to his charm.

"I can't help it, you are so easy to fool." Akio laughed as he ran a finger down her cheek, she slapped it away, smiling back at him.

"I am not!" She laughed back at him.

Lady Mai came strolling over to the tree, looking stressed out, and scoffed at the two of them just hanging about so frivolously.

"What are the both of you doing? We have plan to make. Guests to invite. The wedding is in a week." She chided both Akio and RIn.

Rin looked down at the ground. She didn't need to be reminded that she was going to be married soon. She was relieved that Akio had become a good friend and companion for her. But she was no where ready to be married to the man. And it was happening soon. It made her feel uneasy that she would soon be caring to the needs of a man who wasn't Lord Sesshomaru.

"So Rin, you will come with me. We need to make you something suitable to wear for the event. We have a seamstress here."

"Yes, Lady Mai." Rin said, getting up onto her feet, looking back to Akio before disappearing.

Rin was led into a room where there was a large woman sitting and as soon as she got in, she was stripped down and the large woman was taking measurements from her.

"She is not very white." The woman said to Lady Mai.

"Tell me about it! Rin, dear, why is your skin so dark?" Lady Mai said, sounding curious, although Rin knew that she was being teased. Which was the last thing she needed right now.

"I don't know. It's not that dark." Rin commented, looking at her olive skin. It really wasn't that dark. Lady Mai was as white as a ghost, though, and just as scary as one.

Lady Mai laughed at Rin mockingly.

"You poor thing." Lady Mai chuckled. "You look as if you've been working out in the fields, like a peasant. We must do something about that hand as well. Perhaps we'll make the sleeves long enough so no one has to see it."

RIn felt her blood running hot. She couldn't believe Lady Mai's cruel comments. She stood there silently as the lady finished and then slowly walked out of the room, not saying goodbye to anyone.

She started to run down the halls to find her room when she heard a voice calling her.

"Miss Rin!"

Lord Eito apparoached her, slowly. "What on earth are you running from, child?"

Rin did not know if she should open up to the elderly lord of the castle, but she nodded to him and started to speak.

"I am upset that I may not be adjusting well to all of this, Lord Eito." She said, looking down.

"Nonsense!" He said. "You will find it better with time and patience."

He patted her head as if she were a kid.

"If you should ever need any help, come find me, Miss Rin. I may be old but I know a thing or two." Lord Eito said before turning to walk away slowly.

"Thank you, Lord Eito." She said, bowing her head to him, smiling at him as he walked down the hall at his own pace.

His gentle nature reminded her of her dear Kaede. She missed her friends.

" _My dearest friends. I hope I will be able to travel soon to visit you all. If at all. I miss you all so dearly.. Kagome.. Sango... Kaede.."_

(Thanks for reading, guys. Ch 10 soon. Also I have a oneshot up that you might be interested in called "The Visit" It's Sesshomaru and Izayoi so check it out if you want.)


	10. C10: The Wedding

Chapter 10: The Wedding

Another week passed by in the village that would be Rin's home. The days were filled with planning for the wedding and trying on this and taking that off. It was all very exhausting for poor Rin. As if being betrothed to someone she just met and didn't love wasn't enough. She wanted so badly for her Lord Sesshomaru to change his mind and come save her from this fate, but every day he did not she grew more and more cynical. Everyday she felt more and more hopeless and angry at him. Lady Mai wasn't making things any better by being highly critical of Rin, tearing away at her self esteem.

" _Rin, this is atrocious." Lady Mai said grabbing the piece of paper and ripping it up in front of her. "Nobody is going to take you seriously as a Lady when your writing is like that of a child." She grabbed another piece of paper and put it down in front of Rin. "Try again. I can't have your name on the family scrolls looking like that. It would be a disgrace."_

" _I'm sorry, Lady Mai. I didn't have much practice over the years. I can try harder to make it neat." Rin apologized meekly, hiding a furious beast within her. All she wanted to do was lash out at Lady Mai. The woman had been teasing her and criticizing her for days now. And it wasn't like she could ask Akio to make her back off. That was his mother, and he would surely become cross with her if she spoke of his mother like that. She just had to grin and bear it for now._

Rin was astonished that such a lady could have raised her betrothed because he was a nice, tender man who was very patient and gentle with her. Every morning she would meet with him for a stroll in the garden and every evening she would go to his room for tea and to talk of their day. The time they spent together was the only thing keeping Rin together mentally, and she felt as if Akio was her best friend.

The last night before the wedding she sat across from him at night with her tea in her hand looking at him as he spoke to her about his trip into the village that day. She wasn't really listening too closely this time, because her inner monologue was taking over.

" _It is tomorrow. I am so nervous. I don't want to go through with this. But I have to. I have nowhere else to go. I could go to Kaede… No. I wouldn't make it there on my own without food and transportation. Why would she want me back anyways? I am such a burden. I like Akio very much and feel as if I can be a great friend to him, but I am very scared that I will not be able to be a wife to him. I will have to give him everything… even that. I'm not ready to be a wife, yet, to anybody."_

"Rin, something the matter?" Akio noticed that Rin was staring nervously into nothing and figured she had something on her mind.

"Oh! I'm alright." Rin woke herself out of her thoughts. "I guess I'm just nervous about tomorrow. Your mother wants perfection from me tomorrow and I fear I cannot give it."

"My mother wants a lot of things." Akio said, smiling. "You'll just have to get used to her and start tuning her out like me and my father do." He winked at her.

She laughed at his mother's expense and was relieved to know that she wasn't the only one with the issue of Lady Mai.

Akio moved close to her and pulled Rin into his chest so she could lay her head there. He was so strong that she was like a doll in his grasp. She allowed him to hold her like this every night. It felt nice being comforted like this. And Akio was such a gentle yet domineering force that it was hard to resist. She surrendered to his affections. On nights like this one, he would wear his hair down and allow Rin to play with it. She enjoyed his silky long hair. It was a change from her wild waves.

Soon after came a knock on the door and they separated swiftly.

"You may enter." Akio said, and the servant girl Ami came in and bowed her head before she spoke.

"My Lord, Lady Mai gave me orders to escort Rin to her room early tonight, seeing as tomorrow will be the big day."

Akio rolled his eyes and looked over to Ami.

"Very well. You may take her." He said. He turned to Rin and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I will see you tomorrow, my sweet. I can't wait for us to be joined."

Rin smiled at him weakly as she rose and followed Ami out of the room.

Ami was a friend to Rin. She never spoke much, but there was an understanding between the girls that they were definitely close in their own way. Ami was usually very busy, especially lately with all the planning and whatnot. But she was always there to listen to Rin if she had something to say.

Ami knew right away there must be something wrong, because Rin wasn't talking and was lingering behind. She turned and looked on with sympathy as she recognized that the wedding was already taking its toll on Rin. She placed her hand on Rin's shoulder before Rin began walking on her side.

"Are you okay, Miss Rin?" She asked politely.

"No, Ami. I'm not okay. I'm not ready to be married. I am not ready to serve a husband." She said with tears welling up in her eyes.

The tears began to fall and Ami held Rin's hand as they walked to her room and made their way inside.

"It'll be okay, you'll see." She assisted Rin in taking off her kimono, even though Rin didn't ask her to. "Do you want me to stay for a few minutes?" She asked as Rin laid face down in her futon and cried quietly.

Rin choked out a yes and Ami sat down by Rin's side and began to rub her back and the girl sobbed quietly.

"My Master will be good to you. He just wants you to be happy." Ami said half-reassuringly, trying to smile.

"I know." Rin stammered, looking absently into the wall. "Thank you, Ami, for being here for me. You will be my friend no matter what and I will look out for you as you have for me."

Ami smiled at Rin. "Miss Rin, you do not have to look out for this servant. Especially after you become a noble Lady. It would be silly to care for a servant girl."

Rin sat up and took Ami's hands in hers. "You are not just a servant girl. Don't say such things about yourself. You are my friend, Ami. If anything happens, I want you to come to me. Okay?"

Ami was touched by Rin's offer of kindness and friendship. She feared, though, that her Lord would not be so accepting of how fond his bride was of her. But she nodded her head in agreement before she stood up.

"Is there anything else you need, Miss Rin?" Ami asked.

Rin shook her head no and Ami left. Rin laid her head back down on her futon and breathed deeply, closing her eyes. She forced herself to think of good times to get away from all the stress and uncertainty of the day ahead of her.

 _It was a time for rest, and Lord Sesshomaru was sitting against a large boulder with his eyes closed. He wasn't sleeping, although he looked it. Jaken was off on an errand with Ah Un so it was just the demon lord and the small human child for the day. Little Rin was bored with all this sitting around and not doing much. She didn't wish to disturb her Lord, though, so she kept a watchful distance from him. She picked away at the grass underneath her as she sat on the grass. She let out a deep breath as she crossed her arms and looked back over to Sesshomaru with his eyes closed. Rin desperately wanted him to waken._

 _Rin tiptoed around the boulder and began to climb the other side until she made it to the top. When she got there, she poked her head out and looked down at him lying there gracefully. She took in his magnificence for a while before she decided she must do something to rouse him or she would surely die of boredom. Rin made her way off the boulder and quickly collected some flowers before reclimbing._

 _She looked back over and dropped a flower in Sesshomaru's direction before ducking her head down, to hide herself. Sesshomaru felt the flower land on his shoulder. He was amused by the child's naïve attempt to outwit him. He held his position as the child dropped flower after flower upon him. Rin soon ran out of flowers and decided to try a more bold approach and climbed down._

 _Crawling on her hands and knees she made her way over to the resting Sesshomaru and tried to rouse him quietly. "Pssst. Lord Sesshomaru…" whispered Rin._

 _When there was no response, she crawled closer and whispered again "My Lord, Psssssst. Are you asleep?"_

 _Rin gently tapped his ankle to try at get his attention. When he did not answer at all, she became concerned. She stood up and walked between his legs, getting closer to his face. She leaned in very close to him. Sesshomaru then opened his eyes, he was practically nose to nose with Rin. Shocked, Rin screamed and tripped backwards over his legs but almost immediately started laughing aloud._

" _Lord Sesshomaru! You were awake that whole time!" She giggled, lifting her upper body off the ground to look at him, smiling._

" _So I was." Sesshomaru responded. "Isn't there something you could be doing, Rin?"_

" _I want to do something for_ _ **you**_ _, my Lord. You give Master Jaken things to do. It is my wish to serve you as well."_

" _Hn." Sesshomaru was amused by the young girl wanting to serve him. It surely was not what most young children wanted to do was be ordered around. He didn't really have anything for her to do for him of any importance, but if it was her intent to do something for him, he would allow it. "Very well, Rin. You may serve this Sesshomaru. You will sing for him."_

 _He knew there weren't many things the young girl could do, but singing was most certainly something she exercised liberally._

 _The child gasped in excitement and stood to her feet. "Yes, my Lord!" She shouted before she cleared her throat and sang her heart out to him, songs that were made up on the very spot._

 _Sesshomaru leaned back into the tree and watched Rin sing for him; she looked so proud. He had no idea what in the world she was singing about and she was certainly no nightingale. Her voice was squeaky and out of key, but it soothed the demon Lord nonetheless. He leaned back again and closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep. After a few minutes of him lying still, Rin stopped singing._

" _Might I keep singing for you, my Lord?" Rin asked, to no response. She walked over towards him and saw his rhythmic slow breathing. "My Lord is really sleeping this time."_

 _Rin smiled at her Lord and looked to either side of them before she decided to reach out to touch his face. He stayed perfectly still and asleep as she touched his markings. Sesshomaru must really trust her to sleep this heavily around her, she thought. Rin leaned in and laid a kiss on Sesshomaru's cheek. She half expected him to wake up and be angry with her for daring to touch him without permission. But he never did. She sighed and slunk down next to him, exhausted. Rin closed her eyes, ready for a nap herself._

" _I can't believe I just stole a kiss from my Lord." She thought, surprised and happy with herself before she fell asleep with a big smile on her face._

…..

It was a cold night and Sesshomaru was sitting down in the middle of an open field, stewing in his own dismay. It had been weeks and he felt himself feeling more out of control than before. His feelings were taking a hold of him and there was nothing he could do to stop them from consuming him. His Rin was gone and he had been the one to allow it to happen. Sesshomaru was fighting a battle with himself over the decision. He had become so overprotective and possessive over Rin towards the end as he noticed a shift in his relationship with her. He realized he had been treating Rin less like the child he met and more like the woman she was becoming, and he didn't like that where that was starting to lead him.

Sesshomaru had been starting to treat Rin as his father treated the women in his life. It was the very nature of the male dog demons to be possessive, overprotective, and domineering creatures. He thought of his Mother and how even after Inutaisho and her had separated, he still was very protective of her. They were still married by law, and she would not have anybody else, anyways. He assured himself he must rid himself of these feelings but he couldn't find a place where his mind would be calm. Sesshomaru thought for a minute and then nodded to himself. He would go to the one place that brought him any peace.

Sesshomaru stood up and made his way over to Jaken, who was minding his own business.

"Jaken."

"Yes, my Lord. What is it you need?" Jaken stammered. Sesshomaru didn't speak much nowadays, and it was terrifying when he did.

"I need you and Ah Un to leave my side for a short time. I have personal matters to attend to."

"Where will you go, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I said it was a personal matter. I will send for you when I want you."

The toad nodded his head in agreement.

" _I wonder what my Lord is going to be doing during this duration. And why doesn't he need his loyal servant by his side? Ugh.. I grudgingly admit that I am relieved. His disposition has been most foul as of late. Maybe I should take some of this time to go call on Rin. I never did get to see her before we left her behind and that darn child has left me sentimental in her absence."_

Jaken looked on as Sesshomaru transformed into his true form, the great dog, and flew away into the skies.

The dog demon flew around the clouds and through the sky for hours before he saw a figure in the clouds moving around elegantly. It was a shape much like his own, only slightly smaller. The two dog demons met and circled one another for a minute before they landed on the ground beneath the clouds. The larger dog demon approached the smaller one and sniffed behind its ear and started rubbing its nose into the other's fur. The smaller one turned and rubbed the others head with theirs, the way two dogs might show affection to one another. The large dog demon went to rub noses with the smaller one.

It was at this point that both the dog demons transformed and there she was- the Mother rubbing noses with Lord Sesshomaru. She opened her eyes when he stopped. The Mother was a great beauty and was elegantly dressed, much like Sesshomaru. There was no disputing she had given the great dog demon all of his good looks.

"My son, you have not done that since you were a pup. For a minute there I mistook you for your father. Even though I knew it wasn't possible." the Mother said, surprised with Sesshomaru's affectionate behavior. It was no lie either, her Sesshomaru was a tough child that didn't call on his Mother for anything other than business. She thought fondly of Sesshomaru when he was just a little pup attached to her breast in a loving mother/son bond and how short lived it had been. As he grew, he didn't need his Mother anymore and he never called on her for affection. Maybe that was how she intended to raise him, to be strong like his father but reserved like her. The Mother was not one to show her emotions to anyone, and the only other creatures that had seen her otherwise had been her husband and her child. But Sesshomaru hadn't shown her any feeling since he was very little and it made her concerned for him that he would be so out of sorts as to let down his guard like this.

"This Sesshomaru does as he wishes." Sesshomaru said simply, trying to ignore her questioning his actions. He did not feel the need to explain the things he did to her. She should just accept that her son had come to her. He felt at peace when he was near her, when he smelled her, and took in her scent. When he had rubbed his nose with hers, he had felt an overwhelming sense of calm come about him. There was something about the Mother that made any stress disappear, it was no wonder his father had married her. It was something Sesshomaru would not admit to, but his Mother was one of the few creatures in this world that could calm his angry heart. And being close to her had already done so much for his disposition.

"But of course. Come join me at the palace. We must catch up." the Mother said before taking his hand and leading him back up into the clouds. When they landed, they were at the palace in the sky. It was a very grand palace, with guards lining the halls. She sat down on a large stone bench and he sat down next to her. He looked at his Mother and she looked at him for a few minutes before either of them spoke.

"Tell me, my son, why you have not come to visit your Mother sooner?" She asked in a playful manner.

"Because I did not intend to until now." Sesshomaru said, dryly. He did not like being chided like he was still a child by the Mother.

She pouted at him. "What an arrogant son I have. Then why did you intend to come see me now, then?"

"I intend to rest here at the palace." Sesshomaru said.

"That is if your doting Mother chooses to keep you." She said, teasing him. Her son was always welcome but she liked to poke fun at him at times.

"You will." He said back, closing his eyes.

The Mother made her way closer to Sesshomaru and gently pulled his head down and rubbed noses with him again, in a loving manner. He did not fight it, as he kept his eyes closed.

"I can sense your anger and pain, my son. What has happened?" She asked as she released her grip on him.

"I do not wish to speak of it." Sesshomaru said, opening his eyes to look at her.

His Mother sighed and touched his cheek gently. "I see that the human girl is not with you. And neither is the little demon. What has become of them?"

"I told Jaken to wait for me elsewhere. I wished to visit you alone. As for the human, she is no longer following me."

"Why is that, my son? Did you dispose of her?"

Sesshomaru growled. "I do not wish to speak of it."

"Very well, Sesshomaru. I have things I wish to discuss anyways." She said in a very matter of fact way. "As you know, there aren't many full blooded dog demons anymore."

This was true. The Mother and Sesshomaru had very few allies and relatives alive. A lot of dog demons were demolished in the last battle Inutaisho led.

"There has been a suitor, Sesshomaru."

"Who?" Sesshomaru growled and stood, looming over her. He was angry that any demon would dare try and court his Mother. He was glaring down at her possessively. She was his mother, and he would not allow her to dishonor his father by taking on a new mate. The Mother saw Sesshomaru's reaction and leaned backward, fearing her only child's temper.

"Sesshomaru. Calm yourself. I have not agreed to anything." She argued. "How dare you try to intimidate your Mother?"

"Who is it?" He demanded, again.

"A friend of your fathers. Now sit and calm yourself so I can explain to you." She growled defensively.

Sesshomaru growled but obeyed and sat down beside her.

"It is not even close to being a final decision. But there hasn't been a full blooded dog demon pup in almost 300 years and none of the younger dog demons-" She paused, letting him take in that she was talking about him "Have not been seeking each other out."

Sesshomaru growled loudly. "So if I don't start finding a female, you will try to have another pup with this man. Is that it?"

The Mother noticed that her child was becoming most upset by the conversation and her motherly instincts kicked in. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close to her.

"My son, forgive me. We won't speak of such things now." the Mother said, stroking him gently on his face, the way she might have to her own husband. "You have come to rest. Come."

Sesshomaru felt himself soften in his mother's embrace. He couldn't ever stay angry around her. His hot demon blood cooled at her touch. She let go of her embrace and took him by the hand and began to lead him to a big room with a large raised bed in the middle.

"Lay down, my son. Rest."

Sesshomaru sighed and laid down on the bed. His mother sat down over by his head and gently stroked the markings on his forehead as he fell asleep.

"My beautiful son, you are perfect."

" _This son of yours is destroying me." the demon Mother half joked to her husband, Inutaisho. He was a large demon, with a hard face and long silver hair tied back._

 _Inutaisho looked to his wife, who was looking a little thin and red around the eyes. The baby was taking a lot out of her since he was born. She had the little pup latched to her breast. He made his way over to her and looked closer to see that his wife was bleeding. The little punk had bitten through her skin and was suckling his fair share of blood along with her milk. She smiled weakly at the pup and then back up to her handsome husband. Inutaisho let out a hearty laugh and patted his son's head._

" _He enjoys them as much as I do." The great dog demon joked._

" _Oh, will you think of nothing else, dear Husband?" she laughed. "Besides, by the time he's finished with them, there might not be much left to enjoy."_

" _He is perfect. Our Sesshomaru takes what he wants and then some. He is going to be a fearless warrior like his old man."_

 _Inutaisho wrapped his arms around his wife, grabbing her bottom and placing a kiss upon her lips. She returned the kiss with passion._

" _Let us all lie down together." Inutaisho said, taking his wife by the hand and leading her back to the bed room, closing the door behind him._

 _The Mother let out a small yelp as she removed her son's razor sharp teeth from her breast and laid him down beside her. The little baby cried out, not happy that his meal had been cut short. She rubbed his forehead gently and he quickly fell asleep. She sighed aloud when she felt two strong arms embracing her from behind and she smiled._

" _You're right. He is perfect." She said. They both looked at their sleeping infant and then at each other, before leaning into each other in a loving embrace._

…..

It was a dark and gloomy day for such an occasion. This was supposed to be a happy day but there was an overwhelming aura of sorrow sweeping through the crowd. Flowers lined the halls and there were many guests watching on in silence as a young girl came onto the scene, dressed in a several layered white kimono and a flowery white headdress. The lace from the headdress came slightly over her eyes, so no one could see how sad they were. The young bride made her way down the decorated hall and to her young Lord's side, trying to be as graceful as possible, lest she give herself away as to her true disposition. She felt like she could fall and weep at any moment but she kept strong yet silent while the high priest spoke on their behalf. The groom went to grab his bride's hand as the man spoke and the she looked over to him, giving him a weak smile. He knew she was terrified, but his gesture gave her a smidge of comfort. Maybe everything would be okay.

The ritual itself didn't take very long, but it felt like forever as she waited for the fateful words to come out of the priests mouth. Just like that, Rin had become Lord Akio's wife. A single tear fell down her cheek as she looked to the ground. It fell from her chin to the ground in front of her as she stood there absently. Rin was brought to attention when Akio turned to her and placed a kiss on her lips. He looked so beautiful with his hair down, but she barely noticed through all of her sorrow. Soon there was a quill being thrown into her hand. Rin saw the scroll in front of her and remained still. This was what finalized everything. She needed to sign it to make the marriage official. After a minute of her stillness, Akio took her hand and kissed it before he gave it back to her. She quickly jotted down her signature and that was that.

Akio took his bride into his arms and kissed her again. He knew she was having a hard time, but he assumed it was just all these people and the stress. He had no idea what died inside of her when she signed the paper. Rin had just given herself away to a man who was not her Lord Sesshomaru. Akio led her through the crowd and the people either bowed or nodded to them in congratulations.

After that point, the party began and there was sake all around and people laughing and making merry of the "happy" occasion. Akio had Rin try some and she nodded at him that she enjoyed it.

"This is the very thing that funds the wealth of our village." Akio explained. "We deliver this to all of the neighboring villages and even further. My father made some great ties when he traveled as a youth before he took over the village for his father, thus making the economy here bloom. Here, have some more." Akio held the glass up to her lips and she sucked down some more. It had a strong bite but settled warmly in her chest and stomach. She nodded at him and looked over to Lord Eito and Lady Mai sitting down with some friends that looked older like them. She wondered how anyone as nice and smart as him ended up with a pain like Lady Mai.

"Is my beautiful bride going to speak to her new husband at all today?" Akio asked playfully.

"I'm sorry, I've just been overwhelmed today with all of this." Rin apologized.

"Well, just try to enjoy yourself. In a few hours, everyone will be gone and it will just be us." Akio promised her.

Rin smiled at him as he walked away to talk to a friend. He didn't know that that was exactly what she was afraid of. She knew that now since she was Akio's wife, he would expect her to give her body to him and the thought of it frightened her. Kagome had explained everything to her before, and she didn't expect then that she'd be doing anything of the sort anytime soon. It was a scary concept.

Rin watched her new husband as he spoke with people. He was a very handsome and charismatic person. People respected him and were drawn to him. She supposed she could become more fond of him over time. But then she thought of Sesshomaru and sunk back into her sorrow. Why could she not have her true love by her side? She heard a "pssst" coming from the outside door and made her way over to it, leaving the party inside. Rin walked further out and found a big tree, with Jaken under it.

"Master Jaken!" Rin shouted and hugged the little demon. "How I've missed you."

Jaken was relieved to see her as well, although he would never admit it. "Forgive me for not having Ah Un visit with me. I fear his presence might scare the humans and I don't need to draw attention on myself."

"That's fine." Rin said, realizing that Lord Sesshomaru was definitely not around. Had Jaken come on his own accord? "I assume Lord Sesshomaru sent you?"

"My Lord would probably wrangle my neck if he knew I was here. Rin, he is in a terrible fuss. What happened between you two? And what in the world are you wearing?" Jaken looked at the kimono.

"So he did not tell you?" Rin whipped around in pain, turning away from Jaken. "Of course. Why would he let you know what he has done?"

"I don't quite follow, Rin."

Rin turned back around to look at Jaken. She looked at him with such affection. "Oh, Master Jaken, I have looked to you as my father for such a long time now. You've taught me so much. You are always welcome to visit me here whenever you can. But I must tell you that I don't think I can ever forgive Lord Sesshomaru."

"Child.." Jaken said, his sorrow for her becoming apparent.

"Lord Sesshomaru had me marry the young Lord Akio. To get me out of the picture. He cares for me so he sent me away. How could he do such a thing? To me?"

Jaken was shocked to say the least. He could not believe what he was hearing. Lord Sesshomaru had given up his Rin, just like that.

"You must know I said some things to him that made him most melancholy and he probably will resent me forever." Rin continued.

Jaken nodded his head yes. "My Lord refuses to let me speak your name. I now know why."

"Master Jaken, you will not come to visit?" RIn asked, her sadness beaming through.

"Since I follow Lord Sesshomaru, I can't imagine there will be many times where I will be able to come back here. But, my child, I will try."

Rin felt warm inside when he heard him refer to him as his child.

"Can you do me a favor, Master Jaken?" Rin asked him.

"What is it?"

"Can you let Kagome and Inuyasha and everybody know where I am? Please. I would like for them to know where I am if they should ever want to see me."

"This I will do for you, Rin." Jaken agreed.

"Thank you. Oh, Master Jaken, I'm so frightened. Tell me words of comfort before I have to return."

Rin kneeled down across from Jaken, her eyes looking up at the big tree behind him.

"Child, you have taken the worst of life already and have pulled through with little to no damage. When I met you, you were a little beaten child with no voice. And within a short year, you had already started to sing and dance and run me up a wall. You will pull through anything, because you are strong. I used to think humans were weak, but through you I've realized my mistake. You will be just fine, Rin."

Rin felt tears welling up in her eyes and she threw her arms around Jaken, embracing him.

"Thank you." Rin said before releasing him. He didn't yell or fuss to try to get out of her embrace as he usually would.

Rin stood up and started to walk away but she looked back at Jaken, and smiled.

"Till next time."

Rin started in the direction of the door that led to the party and stopped at the door, looking at the big tree that was now far away. She wanted so badly to beg Jaken to take her away from all this, but she knew very well that Jaken's love and devotion for Sesshomaru ran very deep.

She felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her indoors.

"There you are, my sweet." Akio said cheerfully. "Where'd you go off to?"

"I wanted to have a moment to myself."

"Well I want you to myself." He said, kissing her lips.

Rin melted into Akio, giving into his aggressive kiss. She felt that warm feeling in her belly that she would get when she kissed Kohaku. She pulled away from him out of embarrassment. They joined the rest of the people and made small conversation for the duration of the party. Pretty soon, people started to leave and only Lord Eito, Lady Mai, Akio and some servants remained.

"Well, I guess it was not a complete disaster." Lady Mai said to her husband.

"I thought it was rather nice." Lord Eito responded. "Here. Let's let the servants alone to tidy up."

Lord Eito approached both Akio and Rin and put both of his old, crooked hands, on either sides of Rin's face. She blushed as he placed a kiss on either side of her cheeks.

"Welcome to the family, dear Rin." Eito said, before turning on his heel to leave, Lady Mai in tow.

"Thank you."

Akio put his arms around Rin and kissed her after his parents left. She enjoyed kissing him but now that people were gone she felt hesitant.

"I love you, Rin." He said, looking into her eyes. Rin panicked. He might expect for her to say it back, she could not lie like that.

Rin pulled him into a kiss to deflect his question. Akio then scooped her up and started to carry her. She laughed aloud.

"What is the meaning of this?" She laughed.

"It is tradition for the groom to carry his bride to their chambers." He explained.

"What a silly tradition." She laughed, feeling like a china doll in his big arms.

"I rather like it."

By the time they got to the room, Rin's heart was beating faster than ever. She hadn't really wanted this moment to come so soon. Akio put her down on her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, smelling her hair. He started to untie the layers of her kimono and she froze.

" _This can't be happening. Not now." She thought._

She clenched her eyes closed as layer after layer dropped to the floor. Then he was down to the last thin robe that covered her. She realized this and let out a cry and held it together, backing away from Akio.

"What is the matter, Rin?" Akio asked, concerned.

"I can't. I don't want to." Rin started, breathing deeply. "I'm sorry."

Akio approached her and kissed her on the forehead.

"If it is your wish, I will not." He said tenderly, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "We don't have to do anything tonight. Just come."

Akio held her hand and led her to the futon that would be theirs. "Just come lay with me."

She lowered herself onto her side and he joined her pulling a blanket over the both of them. Akio placed a kiss on her cheek before he blew out the one candle by the bed. He laid down and wrapped his arm around her. Rin calmed immediately, and melted into his embrace. Akio was so kind and understanding, she should consider herself lucky.

"Akio?" she whispered to him.

"Yes, Rin?" he whispered back, yawning.

"Thank you for caring for me."

Akio smiled and kissed her neck, burying his nose into her hair as he drifted off to sleep.

"Goodnight Rin."

(( Sorry this chapter took forever to write! This was a long one. Lots of talking. lol Thank you for reading though. Also, I need your guys opinions on the rating if you don't mind. The rating system is very vague and I'm wondering whether this should be rated M or not. I don't get too vulgar but if you think I should change the rating, please let me know. Chapter 11 soon. I promise there will be a little more action. lol ))


	11. C11: Reflecting

(Oh my gosh that took ALL WEEK. I have been so busy this week but I managed to make time and get this chapter finished. Thanks to all the reviewers. I appreciate the nice words and encouragement so much! Really, you are all great. Anyways, mostly like expanding on characters and stuff in this chapter. MORE SOON!)

Chapter 11: Reflecting

Sesshomaru woke in the same bed he had been lying in for a couple days. He had let everything settle for the past few days and the longer he was there, the more he got back to himself. He hadn't stayed this long in his Mother's palace before. Every morning she came to him and sat beside him, not to speak but to touch his face and enjoy his presence. Sesshomaru tried to remember the last time he felt that relaxed. Which made him think of the day he saw Rin singing to herself by a river, not too long ago before he left her behind. A twinge of pain hit his chest. He clenched his teeth.

"Your father used to come to me as you have when he was troubled. You are so much like him now." the Mother said from the doorway, inviting herself in.

Sesshomaru did not wish to be reminded that he was like his Father. He gave Rin away to prove to himself that he was not like his old man.

"Tell your Mother more about the human girl. I know that she has a big role in this pain you hold on to."

Sesshomaru growled lowly at her as he sat up and let his feet touch the ground.

"Mother, I am not Father. I will not allow myself to be ensnared by women. Especially human women."

"So she grew up and you realized that you could not keep her around."

"You of all people should know that nothing good comes of human and demon relationships."

"I can't argue with that, Sesshomaru. Your father was not much for controlling his desires. I do, however, hope you forget your woes against women and that you mate soon and keep our bloodline strong."

"I will not engage inthisconversation."

"When will you, then?"

"When **I** choose to discuss it."

The Mother found herself in a difficult position that she had surely put herself in. She raised Sesshomaru to be all powerful, dominant, and arrogant. She was a powerful demon herself, there wasn't a demon around that could cross her path without her saying so. And she was used to being the dominating force in her territory. But her power paled in comparison to that of her only child's. Sesshomaru could do as he wished, and she would not be able to do anything about it.

"It's almost as if you don't want the life I've prepared you for."

"What do you know of what I desire?"

"There isn't a single demon around who doesn't consider you their superior. You have led the canine demons into battle on more than a few occasions. They consider you their king. But you have made no moves as to build your own settlement and rule properly. When will you do this and officially take your position?"

"Do not interrogate this Sesshomaru. I will not be told what to do and when to do it." Sesshomaru boomed, holding up his index finger, fed up with this conversation.

The Mother stood and glared down at her son before turning on her heel to storm out of the room, angry at her son for speaking to her with such disrespect. She made her way to her chambers and closed herself in.

Sesshomaru, meanwhile, started roaming the halls of her palace aimlessly, just wanting to move around after days of sleep. He felt a twinge of guilt for treating his Mother poorly but was glad that she hadn't tried to push him further.

" _I have no desire to mate right now. Mother should be patient. She is right, however, in me building my own estate. I already have all the allies and subjects I need in the Western Lands. I shall take my rightful place. It will take years to build, but I shall do it. I could have done it sooner if I hadn't been… distracted." He thought, images of Rin flashing through his mind making him tense. "I gave her no choice. I gave her no patience." The guilt pushed at him, making him angry. "No, This Sesshomaru does as he intends. There shall be no guilt with the decisions I make. I am the great dog demon, and all of my decisions are good decisions."_

Sesshomaru reassured himself, but deep down he knew there would be no comfort. His guilt laid low but was very present. He roamed the halls for hours until he heard a voice coming from his Mother's chambers. It was the sound of her voice, calling out for someone. His instincts took over, and he fled to the room and listened in close to the door. He could hear her crying and went to open the door but stopped himself when he heard who she was crying out to.

"Inutaisho…" Sesshomaru heard this and flinched. He had never heard his Mother grieve for his father before. He had never heard her grieve for anyone or anything before, and he had no idea what to think of it. His Mother wasn't as cold as she made herself out to be. How often did this happen? How many times had she hidden her tears from him? His mother's disposition brought about things within him that he worked so hard to keep dormant. It was almost as if his mother's emotions were directly connected with his. His chest tightened at her cry. All he wanted to do was make her stop.

Sesshomaru opened his Mother's chamber door and let himself in. His Mother whipped around and quickly covered up any traces of her crying. She never cried in front of anyone, her son included. Tears were weak, or at least that is what she believed. She would be shamed to have him see her like that.

"What is the meaning of this?" She snapped at him, starting to stand up.

Sesshomaru looked at his Mother's pale face and couldn't find any words to say. This is the woman that convinced Sesshomaru long ago that feelings were useless. And here she was, letting herself go. Sesshomaru sat down on her bed in front of her.

"Well? What is it, my son?"

"Mother, don't be deceitful. I know you grieve for Father. I heard you."

His Mother became angry that he had seen her in this disposition. She growled lowly.

"Sesshomaru…" She turned her back to him, a single tear falling down her pale cheek. She bit her lip and couldn't help but open up. "I feel so weak sometimes. Like I'm losing my power. I miss him, Sesshomaru. Even after all he did. Ugh, look at me. I'm shamed that you should have your Mother cry before you. Part of the reason I am thinking of taking on a new mate is to be rid of this lonesome feeling I have faced for such a long time since your Father left me here all alone."

Sesshomaru took in her words and rose to his feet and walked towards her and let his hand reach out for her hair, when he found it, he held it up to his nose and breathed in. She didn't move at all, allowing him to be close to her. He enjoyed smelling her scent, it felt so natural and comforting. Sesshomaru thought of how Rin's scent had been different but just as relaxing. This made him cling to his Mother's scent even more so. He had never felt as close to his Mother as he did now. Sesshomaru put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"Despise my weaknesses, my son. Despise me for leaving myself vulnerable. It will surely be my downfall." his Mother looked him in the eyes, expecting him to shame her for exposing herself.

"This Sesshomaru will do no such thing. I will protect your honor. Those who try to take it from you will find themselves at my feet."

The Mother looked up at her handsome warrior and let out a small smile. He had grown so much in the past decade. It was surely all because of the human girl that he had begun to change into the man he was now. But she could see the conflict already on her son's demeanor. He himself had taken on such a huge need to cover up his own emotions. He was just like her in that way.

"No more tears, though. I will not have you doing such things." Sesshomaru added, making her breathe out loudly and laugh to herself. He was like her, there was no questioning that.

"Of course, my son. You are right. I have taught you well."

 _A small dog demon child with long silver hair was swinging around his weapon aimlessly and yelling obscenities loudly in the halls of a great palace. His voice echoed as he fought the air, pretending to be fighting a tough battle. He held his small sword up bravely at his invisible foe._

" _And now, prepare to meet your doom, you coward!" He bellowed as he swung it, and made sound effects with his mouth to emphasize his great power._

 _He raised the sword again when he saw blood trickle down his arm. It was a decent cut, but nothing fatal. But being a child, he panicked. He looked at the gash in his arm and immediately began to cry aloud._

 _The Mother of this young child came crashing down the hallway frantically. When she saw her small son with the blood on his robes and the sword on the ground, she growled._

" _What are you doing? Why are you playing with this?" She scolded, picking up his small sword. "This is for training only! You're lucky your Father isn't here."_

 _The child continued to cry until he felt his Mother's free hand grab him by the arm and yank him up off the ground._

" _Sesshomaru! You stop crying!" She yelled, her voice booming throughout the halls. "Don't you ever cry. Your enemies need to fear you. How can they fear you when you expose yourself like that? A bigger demon will have eaten you up by now."_

 _The young boy looked to his Mother and stopped crying immediately. He watched as she put him down and pulled his robes to expose his arm. The gash was already starting to heal._

" _You are a brave warrior, you will not shed tears. You will not fall victim to your emotions. Do you understand me?"_

" _Yes, Mother. I understand." A little Sesshomaru said, nodding his head. "I will be a great warrior, and my enemies will cower before me. You will see."_

" _Good." His Mother said smirking as she dropped the small sword at his feet. "Go ahead. I will not tell Father that you are playing with it. But if I hear any more crying, I will tell him and then there will be hell to pay." She gracefully exited down the halls._

 _The young Sesshomaru both admired and feared his Father very much, and did not want him to find out that he was playing games with his sword. He hoped one day to be as fearsome as the great dog demon. He would start by taking his Mother's advice and become a fearless opponent. He picked up the sword and looked at it before pointing it forward again, to continue his performance._

" _Foolish bastard! On your knees!"_

…

The sun came in through the window and Rin laid there motionless, as to not wake the sleeping Akio who was draped over her like a paperweight. It had been several weeks since they had been married and she was only just beginning to get used to all of this change in her life. She was not used to all of this human interaction that happened. She was called upon several times a day and it filled the time. Lord Eito was fond of Rin and called on her often, and she liked it. He was a kind old man who wanted to share his wisdoms with the young girl. She would bring tea to him while he was doing work and just listen to him speak of times past and politics. He could go on forever and listening to his voice was soothing to her. Rin knew Lady Mai was not happy with how fond her husband was of her. But she chose to ignore her, even when she tried to poke fun at her or put her down. She was getting a real good hang of ignoring her Mother in Law.

Also, she now had Ami at her side. Akio had appointed Ami to be Rin's personal servant after Rin had hinted that she liked the girl. Rin knew that Ami was okay with it because she didn't have nearly as much work as she used to. Rin did a lot of things for herself, but Ami insisted on doing things for her whether or not she asked for it. Maybe Ami liked to keep busy. She joined Rin often on her outings to the village or just around the gardens near the castle. But Rin was almost never alone.

Last but not least, she had her new husband, Akio taking his fair share of her time. He was a busy person but always found time to see her throughout the day. He was charming and doted upon her often. She felt herself becoming more attracted to him overtime. Akio was patient and waited for Rin to give herself to him at night, which she eventually did. She winced when she thought of the first night she had. It had been very painful. It was her first time, but Rin knew almost right away that it most definitely was not his, which made her insecure. She thought of that night and hissed to herself, remembering the shot of pain she had felt. It had gotten easier these past few nights, but it still ached. Rin sighed as she felt his sleeping body become heavier on top of her.

"Akio, you're squashing me." Rin said finally, pushing away at his limbs that were draped over her. "It is time to waken anyways."

Akio grumbled and moved himself, but fell right back asleep. Rin shook her head and got up and walked over to a bench with a mirror in front of it and sat down for a while, looking at her own naked body, despising it for all the trouble it caused.

" _I imagined life to be so much different than it is now. But I guess this is just how things are going to be from now on. I suppose now that I've succumbed to his desires I will have babies, like Sango." Rin shuddered at the thought. "No, I don't want that just yet. How I do miss Sango and my other friends. I wonder how the baby is. I wonder how everyone is."_

Ami quietly entered the door and Rin looked over to her before she got up and put her kimono on. It was a purple kimono with silver lining, and didn't weigh too much, which Rin liked. Ami put their tea down on the table next to the sleeping Akio and smiled before making her way over to Rin.

"Would you like me to brush your hair, Lady Rin?" Ami whispered, picking through Rin's long locks. Rin knew that Ami enjoyed doing these things and nodded to her.

"How many times have I told you, it's just Rin. You don't need to address me so formally, Ami." Rin said aloud, not really minding her volume as Ami was.

Ami looked over to Akio nervously and then back to Rin and shook her head before taking out the hairbrush and working on Rin's tangled locks. Rin hissed as Ami brushed out the knots, even though Ami was trying to be gentle. Rin wasn't used to getting her hair brushed. She was used to just letting her hair do whatever it wanted. Rin's sounds of displeasure woke up Akio and he sat up and rubbed his head. Ami immediately put down the brush to rush and pour some tea for Akio, bowing her head.

"I trust you slept well, Master Akio?" Ami asked with a smile on her face.

Akio just grumbled at her and drank the tea, not ready or willing to have a conversation yet. She nodded and returned to Rin, picking up the brush. Rin sighed at Akio, he was not much of a morning person. His hair flowed everywhere like a black river. Rin wished her hair was as silky as his, that way the brush would go through it easier. Her head was pulled back as Ami hit a big knot in the back.

"Yow!" Rin shouted and Ami put the brush down and bowed her head.

"Apologies, Lady Rin."

Rin didn't like how Ami acted when her husband was around. She was so much more apologetic and formal when he was present.

"It's okay, Ami. I'm fine, really." Rin said picking up the brush and quickly finishing the rest herself as Ami stood there with her head low.

Akio looked to the two girls as he finished his cup of tea. He was annoyed with Ami for not being gentle with his Rin. He put the tea down.

"Ami. Leave until Lady Rin comes to get you." He said calmly as he stood.

Ami bowed her head and left the room without even looking back. Rin watched her leave and looked over to Akio as he stood up and made his way over to her. He brushed his fingers through her hair gently.

"I can replace Ami if she is not doing a good job." He offered.

Rin didn't like how he was talking about Ami.

"She is doing just fine. It's not her fault that my hair is coarse." Rin argued with him, removing herself from the seat so he could sit. He sat down gently and grumbled.

"Just letting you know." He said as Rin started to take the brush to his wonderful, silky hair. There wasn't a single knot or tangle in it, of course. The brush went right through it like it was water.

Rin looked at her husband in the mirror as she got to the bottom of his hair. He grasped her arm and gently led her to stand in front of him, and buried his face in her abdomen, enjoying her warmth. Rin closed her eyes as he took in all of her smells and heat. He pulled her onto his lap and she opened her eyes, face to face with him. He kissed her gently.

"I want to go to the river today." Rin said, looking deeply into his eyes. She felt as if it had been ages since she swam, and her primal urges wanted her to find the water.

"I am so busy today, my sweet." Akio said, kissing her neck as she leaned back, enjoying it.

"Then I will go by myself." Rin said back.

Akio stopped kissing her and looked at her as she looked back at him and he shook his head.

"No, Rin. You must be accompanied. It's dangerous. That river almost ate me alive." He said very finally.

This was the first time Rin had heard the word 'no' coming from Akio and it threw her off. She blinked.

"Well that's because you don't know how to swim properly. Don't forget it was me who pulled you out. I am capable." She argued.

"Rin.." He managed to get out before she interrupted him.

"I will take Ami with me, if that is what you want." Rin continued before she felt his hand gently touch her lips, to tell her it was time to be silent.

"Rin, be patient. Not today. I will go with you this week sometime. I promise." He said, rubbing her ear with his nose.

"I will not be told I cannot." She argued. "I don't understand why it is you don't want me to go."

Akio sighed, frustrated with Rin. He cupped her chin with his large hand to get a better look at her face.

"Rin, I was hesitant to tell you because it is not my wish to alarm you, but I do have enemies. I can't have you going outside the borders of the village whenever you wish it. You will surely be snatched up."

Rin took in these words and thought for a moment. Why would he have enemies? She didn't like that she was just finding this out now. She slapped his hand off of her chin and turned away from his face.

"I am cross with you." She said and rose to her feet, beginning to walk away from Akio.

He pulled her back by her waist and looked at her with a seriousness about him.

"Be cross with me, then. Promise me you won't cross the border, though."

She breathed out and put her hands on her hips, angry at his persistence.

"Fine. I promise." She said, her cheeks turning red.

Akio sighed and let her go as he turned to face the mirror. He tied his hair back and watched in the reflection as Rin left the room in a fuss. He hated to leave her in such a state, but he was not going to let up at all.

" _It is my duty to protect Rin, whether or not she wants me to. She should be patient and allow me to do my job. I don't know what in the world I would do if_ _ **they**_ _got a hold of her." He thought before he sighed to himself. An image of Rin arguing with him crossed his mind and he let out a smile. "Rin, you are a stubborn girl."_

Rin stormed down the hallway and Ami met her halfway down, looking concerned.

"Is everything okay, Lady Rin?" She asked, stopping in front of her.

"Who does he think he is telling me what I can and cannot do?"

Ami looked to her for a second before moving out of her path. She didn't want to give Rin the obvious answer and frustrate her further. Rin began to walk ahead, Ami walking silently behind her, listening to her frustrated outbursts. She told Ami about the argument that had taken place. They made their way into the gardens and that's when Ami decided to speak.

"Lady Rin, It would be wise to just listen to Lord Akio, he does know what's best."

Rin looked over to Ami and saw herself, blindly following the words and wills of her Master. She had never questioned Sesshomaru in all the years she was with him. She had been so devoted to him and for what? So he could toss her aside. She thought of her first and last argument with him and how she pleaded with him and screamed at him. She had even insulted him.

"Ami, you don't have to agree with everything Lord Akio says. I've already made that mistake in my life and it is not my intention to do it again. Being blindly devoted to someone does nothing for you."

Ami looked like she could cry. She didn't want to listen to what Rin was saying. She didn't want to believe her.

"I owe Lord Akio my life." Ami said.

RIn looked over to the girl and lifted an eyebrow.

"How so?" Rin asked, sitting down at a bench and inviting Ami to sit next to her. Ami sat and sighed and began to tell the story.

 _A eleven year old Ami laid on the cold ground, frozen in fear. Her clothes were nothing more than a few scraps of cloth. She stared absently into the wall in front of her and breathed out, her breath visible due to the cold. It had been at least a month since her village was burned to the ground and she had been taken by a band of thieves. They took her back to their hideout along with a few other girls, although she never saw the other girls after they got here. She was being kept in a small, cold room with no windows. Ami treasured moments like this where she was alone in this tiny room, because that could change at any moment. The thieves took her out of the room often and when they did she would die inside. The things that occurred here were horrible. They would hurt her and then take their turns using her before tossing her back into the small room, defeated and half-dead. She tried to pick herself up but one of her legs was so sprained she couldn't move it._

 _That's when she heard the sounds of men screaming in agony and the sounds of horses trampling through the hideout. She became frightened and pulled her body to a corner or the room and cowered there. The sounds of swords clanking and yelling went on for almost an hour as she sat there panting. Soon the screaming was over and she could hear some men talking aloud._

" _We killed most of them but a few got away! What a raid!"_

 _Ami heard the footsteps outside grow louder and the voices getting closer. She closed her eyes tightly and cowered in the corner of the room, trying to picture herself somewhere else. She did not want to know what laid beyond the door. But there would be no escape. The door slowly started to open and she prepared herself for whatever was going to happen._

 _A large, beautiful man came to peek into the room and when he saw Ami there he nearly threw up at the sight. The young girl before him was half-naked, terribly beaten, and dirty._

" _Oh no.." He said before exiting the room. She just looked at the man in fear as he exited the room and very shortly after returned with a sheet in his hand. Ami was not ready to trust anybody yet._

" _It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. What is your name?" He asked, offering her the sheet to wrap herself in. Ami was hesitant, but she took his kind gesture and wrapped herself in the sheet and nodded to the handsome man who gave it to her._

" _Ami. Who are you? Are you a thief?" She asked, nervously._

" _No, no. My name is Akio. I am the young Lord of a village not too far from here. You are in luck. The band of thieves that did this to you have been defeated this night."_

 _Ami looked at the man in front of her telling her that it was over and started to tear up._

" _Do you have any family or friends that we can take you back to?"_

 _The tears on Ami started to fall faster as she shook her head. Her problems were not even close to being over. All of her family and friends were gone._

" _No, the village was burned, everyone died. They took just a few of us."_

 _Akio sighed and sat down next to her._

" _Are you okay?"_

" _I think they broke my leg."_

" _May I take a look?" He asked._

 _Ami nodded and he investigated her leg. It was swollen but showed no signs of being broken. It was just terribly sprained._

" _Well, it's not broken. But I will carry you to my horse. You can come back with me and my men to my village, alright?"_

 _Ami nodded and Akio lifted her with ease and carried her outside to where a bunch of men had congregated. Ami looked at the dead bodies of her captors and cringed, but she had a small glimmer of happiness at seeing her attackers lifeless._

" _Were there any other girls here?" Akio asked them while placing Ami on the horse._

 _The other men looked to each other and then to Akio, with sad expressions on their faces._

" _We found a few, but none of them were alive."_

 _Ami let out a cry when she heard this. Those girls had been her friends._

" _If we've retrieved what they stole, then let us get back." Akio ordered._

 _He hopped onto the horse and wrapped an arm around Ami as they rode away. She looked up at her savior and stopped crying. She was safe now._

"So he brought me back here and I've worked in the castle ever since."

Rin sat there in silence for a few minutes after Ami was done telling her story. Ami's story was so much like her own. Lord Sesshomaru had been her savior.

"Oh, Ami. I'm so sorry." Rin said, taking Ami's hand in hers. "I did not mean to offend you."

"It's okay." Ami said before she stood up, looking around.

" _I guess I should be more patient with Akio." Rin thought._

….

It was a hot day, and Inuyasha was outside of his home working away at a few pieces of wood. He had no idea what he was doing, but figured he might as well try. Kagome exited their home, her stomach visibly bigger. She held it and smiled at Inuyasha.

"You don't have to do that, Inuyasha. The baby won't be here for another four months."

Inuyasha had been attempting to make a crib for a few days now, with little success. He was really starting to get used to the idea of being a father. At first he was afraid when Kagome told him, but that didn't last very long. He threw the pieces of wood to the ground and joined his mate, planting a kiss on her lips.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Kagome said to him, brushing her hair behind her ear. "When it didn't happen for years, I was so sure it never would."

"Yeah, I know. I still can't wrap my head around it."

"Kaede thinks it will be a girl." Kagome said. "But you never know."

Inuyasha was caught off guard when he started to hear Ah Un flying in their direction. His ears twitched and he sniffed the air.

"That's strange." He said, looking to Kagome.

"What is?"

"I hear the dragon but I catch no trace of Sesshomaru around. But I do smell Jaken. I wonder what's going on."

Inuyasha and Kagome started walking until they saw the dragon in the air, with Jaken on his back. They landed softly onto the ground and Jaken scrambled off of the beast.

"Jaken! It is nice to see you." Said Kagome politely. "How are things?"

"Not very good at the moment. Lord Sesshomaru is most melancholy." Jaken said as he made his way over to where the couple was.

"Why is that?" Inuyasha asked, not really concerned for his brother at all but just wanted to know the situation.

"Rin is no longer with us."

"What happened?" Kagome shouted.

"Lord Sesshomaru gave RIn away."

Jaken felt a certain sadness when he heard the words come out of his own mouth. He did not like not having Rin around.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, with an angry look on his face.

"She has been married to a young Lord. Here." He said, handing them a piece of paper with Rin's location on it. Kagome looked at the paper and then back up at Jaken in confusion.

"Wait. He arranged for that to happen?" Kagome asked in disbelief. "But he cares so much for Rin. Why would he do that?"

"I fear that is the exact reason he made that decision. Either way, Rin asked me to let you people know where she was."

"Did she want this? Is she okay?" Kagome had a million questions. Inuyasha was standing there looking furious.

"I'm afraid she wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Rin insulted my Lord after she found out, and now he won't allow me to even speak her name in his presence."

"Where is the bastard now?" Inuyasha asked angrily.

"None of your business!" Jaken yelled back at him. Inuyasha wanted more than ever to punch the little toad.

"We need to go see her." Kagome told Inuyasha.

"Kagome, you cannot be traveling right now in your condition. I won't allow it." Inuyasha said, putting his hand on her stomach. It was then that Jaken realized Kagome's delicate condition.

"So you are with child, huh? I didn't know half demons could even make children!" Jaken shouted and very soon felt Inuyasha kick him.

"How dare you!" Jaken screeched.

"Poor Rin. Sesshomaru can be so deplorable." Kagome said angrily.

Jaken wanted to yell at Kagome for daring to speak of his Lord that way, but didn't want to get kicked again.

"My work is done here." Jaken said as he scrambled back onto Ah Un. The dragon stood lazily before lifting up off the ground and disappearing into the skies.

Kagome and Inuyasha stood there angrily for a few minutes, not saying a word.

"We have to at least do something." Kagome said, tapping her foot angrily.

"Maybe we can just write to her for now. It's not like she's in trouble or anything."

Kagome sighed and nodded. It was true that Rin was in no immediate danger. A letter would have to do for now.

She thought of Rin and how lonely she must be and how betrayed she must feel. Her heart sank.

" _Rin, I hope you are okay."_


	12. C12: Masters and Servants

(Hey sorry this one took so long my computer deleted part of this chapter so I had to re write a part, which was a huge pain. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Things get heated!)

Chapter 12: Masters and Servants

Jaken was lazing around by a tree, enjoying his little vacation as long as he could. Now that he was done fulfilling his promise to Rin, he had time to do whatever he wanted. He felt lonely, but being able to relax from not having an angry Lord around was definitely making this worth it. He breathed in deeply and began to think of where Lord Sesshomaru could have possibly gone.

" _I can't imagine where he would go for this long without bringing me along. Perhaps he's decided to abandon me as well. No. Not me. He would never abandon a servant as loyal as me… Would he?"_

Jaken rubbed his head nervously. He really started to ponder whether or not this could possibly be true. Would Lord Sesshomaru leave him without telling him? He felt tears sting his eyes.

" _I can imagine how Rin must have felt, now. But me! After all of my hard work and service. He couldn't possibly. He needs me. Doesn't he?"_

"Lord Sesshomaru, I can forgive everything. I can forgive you for removing Rin after so many years. Rin. The child that you forcefully put in my care. I took care of her, Lord Sesshomaru, and asked you many times to send her off to a human village. But no, we had to keep her. I had to parent that child and as she grew, I started to grow attached as if she were my own. And then you just removed her, without so much as a word to me. I can forgive it all, my Lord. But I cannot forgive you ever if you leave me here."

He almost hoped that Lord Sesshomaru would hear him, but then thought it best that he hadn't. Sesshomaru was not capable of understanding his feelings. At least that's what he thought.

Jaken decided it was time for him to find Lord Sesshomaru himself. And he had a small list of places he could possibly be. He gulped at his own boldness, but felt he simply must go through with this.

….

Rin's heart raced like never before when she saw the glisten of the river in front of her. She squealed in delight with her hands together and looked to her husband beside her with a smile on her face. She couldn't wait to dive in. It was just the two of them there at the river.

"Sorry it took all week, my sweet." Akio said, running his fingers down her back.

"It's okay, I'm just glad to be here now." She said, before she started to strip.

Akio sat down by the river and watched as Rin removed her layers in order to go swimming. He felt great desire as she removed the final robe and walked into the water. She looked so beautiful.

RIn felt the cold water around her body and sighed happily. She dunked herself under and enjoyed the sweet solace of being alone before resurfacing.

"You know most noble ladies would not be caught dead swimming in a river. Especially not in the nude." Akio teased her as he leaned back against the grass, smiling.

"I'm not pining to be like them, believe me. I've seen your mother and her friends. They are a terrible bore. I don't ever want to be like any of them."

"Easy, now, you are talking about my dear mother who would never say something ill about anybody." Akio said sarcastically before laughing aloud to himself.

Rin chuckled and started to float around lazily. She thought about the conversation she had with Ami about Akio. The man she painted him as was not like he had described himself when they first met. She decided she must bring it up to him.

"So why didn't you tell me you were such an exciting man?" Rin asked in a half-joking manner.

Akio sat up and lifted an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well.." Rin said, coming closer to the edge of the water so her feet was touching the floor of the river. "When we first met you made it seem as if you haven't seen much beyond the village. But come to find out, you have seen battle before, and apparently have enemies. This would not be true, then. You've seen plenty. Why wouldn't you tell me these things?"

"I never told you that I never went to battle before, did I? I've killed my fair share of bandits and thugs before. Nothing too exciting. It was not my intention to withhold this information from you. Who told you about that, anyways?"

"Ami told me about the night you rescued her from a band of thieves. It was quite the story. If I'm being honest, it made me feel very fond of you."

Akio frowned. He didn't like that Ami and Rin were speaking of him when he was not around. It made him think that they had other, less endearing discussions about him behind his back. He was the insecure sort and the servants in the house knew it, as they refrained from gossip.

"So you think I intentionally didn't tell you these things? Maybe it is just that I don't like to speak of them. I am not fond of bloodshed. Did you think of that at all?"

"I guess not. My apologies." Rin said defensively, looking to him from the river. She watched him frowning and decided the conversation must change. "Come in."

"I don't think so. You know I cannot swim well." He said back, still annoyed at her interrogation.

"I will show you." She said, splashing him from the water, giving him a defiant smirk.

Akio sighed as she soaked his clothes. Rin was of the unruly sort and would not hesitate to tease him, and a part of him enjoyed the challenge. Rin was wild in many ways, and it thrilled him. He slowly stood up and started to remove the top layers of his clothing. Rin smiled that she had won.

"Rin, you will pay for that." He said, with a smirk on his face.

"I'd like to see that!" She shouted back, splashing him yet again.

Akio leaped into the water after Rin and she let out a playful scream as he grabbed her by the leg and dragged her over to him. She whacked at him playfully with her hands, but allowed him defeat. She laughed aloud as he grabbed her around the waist and held her close to him. He kissed her and she kissed him back roughly. She was really starting to enjoy herself with Akio, although she wouldn't say that she loved him at all. She loved one man, even though in her eyes, he had betrayed her. No, with Akio, it was different. But it was all she had for now.

….

Lord Sesshomaru was laying down on the bench outside of his Mother's palace, planning out things in his head. This idea of building his own estate would surely be his escape from his taunting thoughts of Rin. The thoughts plagued him still. He wondered how she was and what she was doing. He wanted to know if Akio was being good to her. For surely if he ever found out otherwise, he wouldn't fail to kill the human Lord where he stood. He shook his head at himself.

" _No, stop thinking of her. Rin is not my responsibility anymore. She belongs to another now. This Sesshomaru must focus on the task at hand. Finding a place to build my estate. There are a few places I might want to see again before I make my final decision. I have seen the Western Lands time and again. If only my father's old estate survived the years. Unfortunately, it is nothing but rubble now. Perhaps I can build on that land.. No.. It must be new. I cannot rule where my father did. The key to my success is not being like him."_

His thoughts were interrupted when he smelled a scent that was unfamiliar yet very reminiscent of his own came wafting about in his vicinity. It was getting stronger. Sesshomaru knew right away that it was another dog demon, although he wasn't sure who it was, as he had never smelled this one before. He could sense it was male though, which made him growl. Sesshomaru stood in front of his Mother's palace with his hand on his sword, waiting for the newcomer to arrive.

The figure that approached was a great dog demon, he was almost as big as the palace itself in this form. He looked down upon the young demon Lord and stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. He landed gracefully on the ground and transformed into his other form. Sesshomaru could tell right away that this man was old. He was a huge man with long silver hair like his, tied back. The markings on his face were disfigured with huge scars, probably obtained from battle. His body was large and muscular, making Sesshomaru look thin in comparison, although him and Sesshomaru matched in height. The man had a single sword in his belt and a smirk on his face.

"Ah! Sesshomaru! I wondered when the day would come that I would see you. Take your hand off your sword, young man, I do not intend to fight my kin. There are so few of us now."

Sesshomaru kept his hand on his sword and looked the man in front of him up and down. This man was unattractive and a bit wrinkled, although Sesshomaru couldn't deny the likeness. This man was definitely related to him.

"Who are you? I have never met you before." Sesshomaru demanded.

"I know. The last time I saw you, you were but a small pup. You certainly aren't anymore, that's for sure. Look at you, your Father would be proud." The man realized Sesshomaru's impatience with him and smiled. "I am your Father's cousin, Monomaru. Come, little cousin, drop your defenses. I am not here to fight or to harm anyone."

"Hn." Sesshomaru decided this was not a good time to be so hostile and removed his hand from his sword and took a more relaxed stance. He was also rather taken with this new development. He had never actually seen any of his relatives before, so it was kind of a shock to have one standing before him.

"It is nice to meet you finally, little cousin. I've been in the East for a very long time now. But, I have heard of your ventures and of your great power. I must say, I am very impressed."

"Do not address me that way. This Sesshomaru prefers you use his name." Sesshomaru said in a very annoyed manner. He wasn't sure if he could trust the newcomer quite yet, kin or not.

"Relax, young Sesshomaru. I am not here to offend you. I come to speak with your Mother."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow when he put the pieces together. This was the demon that pursued his Mother. He growled internally but held back and stayed his calm demeanor.

"What business might you have with her?"

"Monomaru, my dear friend." The Mother interrupted Sesshomaru's inquisition before it even began, as she walked into the scene. "I see you have met my son."

"Yes, and might I say he has inherited your good looks, my Lady." Said the shameless flatterer, moving over to her and kissing her hand delicately. Her tiny pale hands looked so dainty in his large, calloused ones. This scene made Sesshomaru annoyed and disgusted.

"You flatter me, Monomaru." Sesshomaru's mother's cheeks glistened with a red color as she smiled politely at her guest. She looked over to Sesshomaru to see how he was faring and knew right away that he was not happy or comfortable with it at all. She felt badly for her child but was very glad to see that Monomaru had returned again to see her.

"So are the numbers so thin that you call upon your own cousin's mate?" Sesshomaru asked haughtily.

The two older dog demons merely looked at Sesshomaru in silence for a few minutes before his Mother spoke.

"The numbers are thin, yes, but that is not alone why Monomaru has come to me, my son. Try to understand-"

"Understand that you both wish to dishonor my Father by mating?"

"Young Sesshomaru, I have lost my mate a hundred years ago, much like your Mother lost your Father. Should your Mother and I be doomed to be alone for the next several hundred years? Besides, she is not decided to accepting my proposal yet. I do hope that you can see it the way we do."

Sesshomaru stood there in silence for a moment, taking in this information. He wanted to be reasonable, but he didn't want Monomaru anywhere near his Mother either. He saw his Mother put her hand on Monomaru's forehead. Monomaru closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her relaxing touch.

"You shall not mate my Mother without my blessing." Sesshomaru said with an air of dominance.

His Mother looked at him and he saw the slightest hint of dismay on her face as she hid her anger well, although she didn't say anything to him. Monomaru raised his eyebrow and looked over to Sesshomaru, and nodded his head at the young Lord.

"If it is your Mother's wish, will you deny it?" He asked quizzically.

Sesshomaru looked to his Mother and thought deeply of this question. Would he actually deny her something she wanted? He wanted to say no but the dominant, overbearing son within him wanted no one to have her. But the rational part with him knew that he could not stop his Mother from doing what she wished to do. He did not want to voice this aloud, though. He wanted Monomaru to know that he had the upper hand in this situation. But Monomaru already knew this. He was old and worn out and would not fight Sesshomaru unless he absolutely had to. In his day, he was the alpha of his territory. But growing old means getting replaced by the young, more able, and he accepted this.

"This Sesshomaru said you will need my consent. That is after she gives hers. If she does." He said finally, feeling angry about the whole situation.

"Very well, young Sesshomaru. I will ask you when and if she decides to accept." He said before chuckling. "Tough lad! You remind me of my daughters. They are feisty and strong and won't be told anything, like you. These are good qualities of a great dog demon. "

This was the first time Sesshomaru had heard about existing young females of his kind. He hadn't seen any apart from his Mother before, and had no idea how he would react to seeing one. He knew that it was expected of him to mate one, but could never really imagine one. Would she be attractive? He always figured he might seek one out when he was ready, but his woes against women didn't help him along at all.

"They are twins! You should see them. They are lovely creatures." Said the Mother, hoping that this chat might peak Sesshomaru's interest in females.

"I'm sure they are. But this information is not useful." Sesshomaru said, looking at Monomaru's face. He was so ugly in Sesshomaru's eyes, he couldn't imagine any offspring coming from him being "lovely".

"Lord Sesshomaru!" An interrupting voice could be heard from far away. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. He thought he smelled his toad in the area. "Lord Sesshomaru! Oh, I wish I remembered how to gain access to his Mother's fortress. Wait, there it is! Ah Un, over there!"

The group of dog demons all stood there, listening to the scene below them. Monomaru laughed in amusement but Sesshomaru and his Mother did not seem amused at all by this intrusion. Jaken rode in and knew right away that he shouldn't have interrupted when he saw the three huge demons looking at him with interest. He knew of course about Sesshomaru's mother but this other one was rather terrifying and hard looking. He stood there frozen, not making a move.

"Sesshomaru, isn't this your little demon that follows you?"

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said, turning his back to Jaken. Jaken knew that the next move he should make should be to get out of here. He took Ah Un and they leapt down to the ground below the clouds without saying a single word to anyone.

"I am taking my leave." Sesshomaru said to his Mother.

"Very well, my son. You will be hearing from me soon." She said, stroking Sesshomaru's face before he turned to go. Before he leapt down, he looked to Monomaru.

"Monomaru, if you take her without my blessing, I will kill you."

Monomaru sighed and smiled at the young demon. "It was nice to see you too, cousin." He was not about to let the young dog intimidate him.

Jaken was nervously pacing as Sesshomaru leapt down from the clouds and landed on the ground. He stopped dead in his tracks and watched as the demon Lord went forward to grab Ah Un's reigns, not even bothering to look at or speak to him. He started to walk away and Jaken timidly followed.

"My Lord?" Jaken pressed his index fingers together and when he didn't get a response, he felt ill. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Did I not say that I would call for you when I was ready?" Sesshomaru said as he kept his back to Jaken, not wanting to look at him at all right now.

"Forgive me, my Lord!" Jaken said, dropping his staff and falling to his knees. "Please, I became worried sick after several weeks with not even a word."

"Hn." Sesshomaru was still not happy with the embarrassing scene back there at his Mother's palace. Jaken knew that.

"Why do you follow this Sesshomaru if you choose to disobey my direct orders and go behind my back?"

Sesshomaru turned to read Jaken's face. Jaken looked sorrowful and surprised and even slightly confused by his statement.

"Forgive me, my Lord. I have disobeyed your orders to wait only because I was so worried for you. But I have never gone behind your back! That's the truth!"

Sesshomaru clenched his teeth at that statement. "Then why do you smell like **her**?"

Jaken gulped at these words and began to bow profusely.

"Did you think I would not know?" Sesshomaru boomed.

"No, my Lord. Please, you never gave me orders to stay away from her. You must know that I never went against your words."

Sesshomaru stopped and thought about it. He never had told Jaken that he could not go and see Rin. But he definitely implied it heavily that Rin was no longer on his good graces. Jaken was just saving his own skin with what little he could, and Sesshomaru knew it. He was angry that Jaken would go to see Rin, but he remained calm.

"Jaken, you knew she was left behind. What reason would you have to go to her? Of what importance is she to you?"

"Because, my Lord, she was mine, too." Jaken blurted out honestly before he covered his mouth and ducked in a scared fashion, preparing himself for the strike that would surely come. But it never did. There was a long silence.

Sesshomaru thought about the words that Jaken spoke and realized the reason that Jaken had gone to her. He never considered Jaken in the decision of being rid of Rin. Jaken always wanted what he wanted, as any good servant should. But Sesshomaru knew very well that Jaken had been very invested in the upbringing of Rin. He had done everything for her. He looked at the toad cowering before him. Was he so awful and cruel that he would strike Jaken for wanting to see her again?

" _Not this Sesshomaru." He thought of Rin's terrified face just before he left her and it made his chest ache. "Will I ever forget her face?"_

"Up on your feet, Jaken." The toad slowly rose to his feet and very soon realized that he was not about to be destroyed by his Master.

"Do you wish to continue following this Sesshomaru?"

Jaken nodded his head. Of course he did. He would follow him to the end.

"Very well. This Sesshomaru has decided to build his own estate. A castle of great proportions. And you are going to help me."

Jaken gasped in excitement. He couldn't believe his ears. "Yes, My Lord! This is very exciting news!"

"Let's go." Sesshomaru said as he started to move forward.

"Uh, my Lord, I have some news of my own."

Sesshomaru looked back at Jaken to let him speak.

"Inuyasha's wench is with child."

"….and?"

"Well, my Lord, wouldn't that mean you are to be an Uncle?"

A rock came flying towards Jaken's head and he ducked trying to avoid it as Sesshomaru glared at him .

"Be silent, Jaken."

…

It was the middle of the day and Rin was having tea with Lord Eito. She poured some into his cup and smiled at him before placing a card down. She would play card games with the old man often, now that he had taught her how to play them.

"I'm afraid I've taught you too well, I may not win another game again." The old man said smiling.

The game was interrupted by Ami stepping into the room.

"Lady Rin. There is someone here with a letter for you." She said, bowing her head at both Rin and Eito.

"A letter for me?" She squinted but when she realized who it might be from her eyes widened with excitement. She stood up immediately and turned to Lord Eito, bowing her head slightly. "I am sorry to end our game so abruptly, but I must take this."

He smiled at her and nodded. "You've already won, anyways, my dear. There was no escaping that. Don't worry though, next time I will be victorious."

Rin smiled to him and placed a kiss on his cheek before she exited the room and into the hallway where Ami was waiting for her.

"A caller for me? This is most strange."

"Yes, I have placed him in the meeting room. He said that it was urgent and that only you are to take the letter, no one could bring it to you but him. That is so strange, Lady Rin. Is it not?"

Rin nodded her head as they made their way to the meeting room. The letter was definitely from her friends back in Kaede's village. She looked over to Ami and stopped.

"Ami, does my husband know about this caller?"

"No, my Lady, he's been out all day today."

"Good. He doesn't need to know that I received anything." Rin said, strongly hinting to Ami she should keep quiet about all of this. Ami nodded to Rin but had a look of guilt crawl over her face. She didn't like keeping secrets, especially from Lord Akio, whom she adored. She didn't want to be around for this.

When they entered the room, Rin looked at the man with the letter. She had never seen this man before but knew right away that this was not the man's true form. She saw the big tail under the man's clothing. Rin closed the door behind them and approached him.

"Welcome. You can relax now and show your true form. You are among friends." She said to the man.

The man sighed in relief and a big poof was heard, clouds surrounded him as he transformed into Hachiemon, the raccoon dog demon. Rin hadn't seen him but twice before when she stayed in the village. He would come to speak to Miroku but be off as soon as he was done. Rin nodded to the little demon and smiled. Ami gasped and stood there frozen, not knowing what to do.

"It is nice to see you , Hachiemon. I trust you have a letter from Kagome and the others."

"Yes, they are very worried about you, Rin. I came here as soon as I could."

" _That demon knows Lady Rin. She must have more demon friends aways from here. Why would they be sending for her though? And why is it a secret?" Ami thought, intrigued._

"They are worried for me?" Rin said, touched.

Hachiemon handed her the letter. "Here you are."

Rin looked to Ami. "Make sure nobody enters the room, Ami."

Ami nodded and left the room, posting herself at the door. She nervously stood there.

" _Lady Rin, What are you doing?.."_

Rin took the letter over to a desk in the room and sat, reading Kagome's immaculate handwriting. It was almost too good, as it was hard to read.

 _Dearest Rin,_

 _We are worried sick about you. Jaken came to us and told us of your arranged marriage. I can't believe that Sesshomaru. He's really done it this time. I don't think anyone here is very happy with him at the moment. Are you okay? Everybody sends their love, even Inuyasha. We were hoping to show up in person to see you but we are unable to travel at the moment. I am now with Inuyasha's child so traveling is a not an option right now. We don't know exactly what your situation is, but if you wish it, Hachiemon will take you to us this very moment. You are always welcome here in the village. Just please let us know that you are alright._

 _-Kagome_

Rin held the letter to her chest and breathed out heavily. It was touching to read a letter of such concern. And she was excited to hear that her dear friend Kagome was having a baby. Not only that, they were offering her to come back to the village to live. She could leave this place this very moment, and never look back. This was her one chance to get out, and the stress of that decision was taking over her. She sat there in silence for a few moments and looked to the raccoon dog demon.

Ami, meanwhile, had her ear pressed against the door, curious to hear what was going on.

" _I'm not sure if I want to leave. Things here aren't bad. Akio is good to me" Rin thought."What would I do there anyways? I don't have a place to live there and I would be a burden on everyone. Besides, I don't want to cause them any trouble. Akio would surely come to look for me, as well. I just can't leave right now. It would only bring trouble to everyone, even myself."_

"I cannot come with you, Hachiemon. It just is not a wise move, right now. I thank you sincerely, though, for traveling all this way. I shall write a note back to them."

"I am disappointed to return without you."

Ami gasped from the other side of the door. Someone had come to take Lady Rin away? She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Rin wrote a quick letter back to let them know that she was okay and that she would find a way to visit them soon. She did not want to waste any time getting Hachiemon back on the road before anybody saw him.

"Thank you, my friend. I cannot express how grateful I am that this opportunity was even given to me. I'm sad that I must decline. Please, let Ami bring you to the front door. You might want to disguise yourself again."

Ami removed her ear from the door and her cheeks flushed red.

" _How could she keep something as serious as this from my Master? What does she have to hide? Why am I the keeper of this information? I want so dearly to erase this from my mind. But I heard everything. And now I have to keep it to myself. I don't know if I can do this. But Rin is my friend, isn't she? I can reason with her."_

When the raccoon dog opened the door, he was disguised as a man again. Ami nodded to him politely and lead him down the hallway to the front door. She was very nervous and just wanted Rin's guest to leave immediately. She didn't know what her next move was going to be.

"Thank you, Ami" The man said smiling before he took off. Ami looked to the guards and was tempted more than ever to have them stop the man that just tried to take off with the Lady of the castle but instead she just watched him walk away with her arms folded. She shook her head.

"Ami, who was that? I've never seen him before." One of the guards asked her, moving to her side.

"Hell If I know. I just showed him the door."

Ami uncrossed her arms and made her way back inside the castle. She made her way slowly to the bedroom that her Master and Mistress shared. Rin was there, sitting around and thinking about what had just happened. It was apparent that she was upset about it. Ami made her way over to Rin and sat down beside her.

"He's gone."

"Thank you, Ami. You are such a good friend."

"Do you really consider me your friend?"

Rin turned her head to look at Ami in shock.

"Of course you are my friend, Ami. These past few months I have grown so close to you. Please, tell me you feel the same way."

Ami sighed and looked at Rin. "Yes, I do. I have become close to you. But that is why you have to consider what I have to say."

Rin looked to Ami and nodded for her to continue.

"You shouldn't keep secrets like that from Lord Akio. It's not right."

Rin sighed heavily in frustration. She did not want to hear this right now.

" _I knew I should not have had Ami come with me. What a stupid decision."_

"Ami, if you heard what the letter was about then you should know why it's a secret."

Ami stood up and paced back and forth as Rin tried to talk to her.

"How do you think he will react? You know this marriage was not something I asked for. But I'm willing to try and make it work. My friends are looking out for me, Ami. Don't you get it?"

Ami stiffened at these words. "Yeah, I get it. But so would he. Or do you think he is a monster incapable of understanding?"

"Ami, don't put words in my mouth."

"Why not? You've obviously have made up your mind and dragged me along into it unwillingly."

Rin stood up and pointed a finger at Ami, becoming angry. "Unwillingly? You were the one with your ear against the door. I allowed you to leave without having to hear everything. No. You heard everything on your own accord!"

"I knew what I saw. That demon was disguised as a man! I can't unsee that. Don't act so stupid!"

Rin was angered by these words and walked over to Ami and looked her in the eye. "Don't you dare insult me! I don't need to take that from you. You know what? Maybe I don't care to be your friend."

"Well maybe I don't care to be yours!"

They had lost the original point of the fight and were now two angry teenage girls yelling at each other, as girls might do when they become angry with each other. Rin felt two hands push her and fell backwards onto her back. She hit the floor with a thud and looked up at Ami. She forgot all of her anger then.

"AMI." A voice boomed from the door. Ami went into a low bow, hiding her face as Akio entered the room.

Rin looked over to him. She had never seen this look on his face before. He was angry and it showed. He made his way over to Rin and helped her up, wiping her hair out of her eyes. He looked at her in confusion.

"What is all this?"

"Akio. It's my fault, really. I said some things." Rin started, not quite sure how much he had actually seen. She looked over to Ami, who held the position she was in and looked back over to Akio. "It's okay. I'm okay."

"This is not okay. This is not acceptable." Akio said before turning to Ami.

"Lift your head, Ami." He ordered.

When Ami lifted her head she didn't look at either Akio or Rin, she merely looked forward toward the wall, a single tear falling down her cheek. This wasn't good at all. She had let her anger fly away with her and she had pushed her Mistress.

"You would dare to lay your hands on Lady Rin?"

" _What was I thinking? I'm such an idiot." She thought as she kept her silence._

"I want you to go into the hallway and wait for me." Akio demanded.

At his words, she bowed and lifted herself off the ground and walked briskly into the hallway without a word or even turning to look at anyone. Rin watched her go and felt her heart sink.

"You are okay, my sweet?" Akio asked Rin, kissing her hand.

"Yes, I am just fine. It's really no big deal." Rin assured him.

He looked at her deeply for a moment and sighed. "You are too kind, Rin."

Akio placed a kiss on her cheek and then turned to go. "I will be back."

Rin felt a rush of panic as she worried for Ami. "Where are you going?"

"When there is misconduct in this castle, it's dealt with." He said simply before turning to the door.

Rin blocked his exit and looked him in the eyes. "What will you do?"

Akio sighed. "Just let me go, Rin."

"Please, Akio, I care for her. Don't."

Akio sighed in hesitance as he manually moved Rin aside and exited out the door.

The door clicked and Rin felt a pain in her chest as she slid against the wall down to the floor to sit. She breathed slowly. This was all her fault.

" _I shouldn't have dragged Ami into this." She thought, feeling awful. "I should have left."_

Meanwhile, Ami stood in the hallway, dreading every sound that made its way into her ear. She felt a couple tears make their way down her face but quickly wiped them, not wanting to make a scene.

" _I am not her friend. I am a servant. Not her friend." Her mind repeated over and over to her._

When she heard Akio approach, she bowed her head, not wanting to look him in the eyes.

"Ami. Look at me."

She lifted two wide eyes to look at him. She could feel his heat against hers.

"I take care of you, don't I?"

She couldn't help it when she started to cry. She nodded to him.

"Yes, Master. You do. Please continue."

"Well you understand that you'll have to know your place. This act cannot go unpunished."

Ami nodded her head and wiped her eyes. She loved her Lord very much and couldn't stand it when he was upset with her. He started down the hallway and she followed him, her hands cupped together. A little ways down the hall, he came to a room and opened the door. Ami took a deep breath and entered and Akio followed behind her, closing the door.

They were both silent as Ami moved over to a familiar wall. Fingernail scratches of different shapes lined it. She slowly untied her kimono and let it slip off. Her body was thin but slightly muscular from being up and down the halls of the castle all day long everyday. Akio watched as she moved her hands up to the wall and laid her head against it without so much as a word of objection. Ami had been here a few times before and knew that there was no point fighting what was about to occur. She breathed out and waited, wanting this to be over as soon as possible.

Akio felt his chest ache, he didn't like this. He found no enjoyment in punishing his servants. Although his Mother had told him long ago if he didn't, they would take advantage of his kindness. He didn't want to believe her, but he did. When he was young she would make him sit there and watch as she would rip into a disobedient servant. After a while he just became used to it. It was just something that had to happen, without argument. Akio still found it harder than ever to punish Ami, as he was fond of the girl he had rescued so many years ago. He made his way over to a table in the room and grabbed a bamboo cane that laid there. He slowly made his way over to her and let out a deep breath.

Akio swung the cane across Ami's back and she flinched, grinding her teeth in pain. He did it again and she breathed out, her fingernails scratching the wall in front of her. The third time it came down she jumped. It felt as if she was being cut into with each stroke. The cane made its way up and down her pale body and she started breathing heavily, losing her ability to contain her pain. It was sending shocks of pain up her body and she trembled under it, losing her control.

Ami couldn't hold it back any longer. She started to cry out every time it came down. The cries soon turned into screams as he continued. Akio felt his heart ache as he doled out a few more, to Ami's dismay. She cried aloud and sank to the ground when he stopped to put the cane back down.

Akio rubbed his temples and closed his eyes as Ami's cry turned into a slight cough. He couldn't stand the sounds coming out of her. He cared very much for Ami ever since he met her and favored her over everyone else who worked in the castle. He made his way over to her and gently helped her onto her feet. Ami turned and cried into him. Akio sighed and let his fingers find her short brown hair and ran them through it.

"You know it pains me to do that. But I will not have such brash behavior." He said softly, holding her head to his chest in a comforting manner. Ami was the only servant who ever got to be close to him like this.

"I'm sorry, Master." Ami whispered in complete submission. She did not care about what he just did, she only cared for him. She was too loyal, and he knew that. Which made him feel worse.

He felt her body against his and closed his eyes. He felt like there was a magnet pulling Ami to him, it was tantalizing. He didn't give this inkling a chance to even manifest itself as he moved backwards and nodded his head. Ami shakily reached down to grab her kimono and put it on, watching him as he straightened himself out.

"I will send someone to your room to ice your wounds." He said. "You will stay there until you are healed."

Ami bowed her head. "Thank you, my Lord." And she left the room slowly, shaking still.

Rin was sitting looking into the mirror in front of her, when something made her jump. It was faint but it sounded like a scream from down the hall, and she knew right away who it was. These walls weren't thick enough to hide Ami's dismay. Rin's heart sank as she put her face in her hands. Another scream made its way into her ear and she shuddered. She couldn't believe her sweet patient husband was capable of harming Ami. This couldn't possibly be part of who he is. But it was plain as day. The screams stopped and Rin sighed heavily.

Rin became furious. How could he? She had seen cruelty before, she was no stranger. She thought of the men that beat her when she was a child fishing in the reserve.

" _Human men. Who knew they'd be the cruelest creatures I have come across." Rin thought. "How could he do that?"_

She thought of the night she practically asked Lord Sesshomaru to punish her, and he didn't. He had been the one to demonstrate forgiveness. The great noble dog demon showed way more mercy than her human Lord.

Rin heard the door click open and didn't turn to see who it was because she already knew who it was. She stared into the mirror, not daring to look at him. She was pretty furious with Akio right now, but wanted to keep her composure. She sat there as he made his way over to her and reached out to touch her hair. She whipped her hair away from him defiantly.

"What did you do to her?" She demanded to know. When he stayed silent she continued. "You beat her, didn't you?"

Akio was shocked by his wife's inquisition. Nobody ever made a big deal out of things like this. Especially since Rin had been the one who Ami attacked.

"Rin, she lashed out at you. I had to."

"I asked you not to. I told you it was my fault. You didn't have to do that to her." She half-yelled at him, finally looking at him through the mirror.

"Rin. I don't know what kind of things went on where you were before, but this is how we've always done it here."

Rin stood up angrily and whipped open a drawer and began to look through it. When she found what she wanted she held it up. It was the letter that she had received from Kagome. She whipped it at him and it bounced off of his chest and onto the floor.

"Someone came for me today. I stayed for you. I'm not so sure I made the right decision."

Akio's face was red hot. He didn't let anyone talk to him this way, and Rin was really cutting deep into him. He bent down and picked up the letter and read it, occasionally looking up at Rin. When he got to the part about Hachiemon being ready to take her, his shoulders drooped.

"I wasn't going to show you this letter. Ami convinced me to. She is so very loyal to you. It's a shame really." She said, taunting him.

Akio could feel the heat coming off of his neck. He was angry that someone had slipped in and out of **his** castle trying to take off with Rin. He was angry that Rin's friends thought their marriage was a detriment on her. But he felt a twinge of flatter that Rin had decided to stay with him. He folded the letter and handed it back to Rin without a word. She could see he was on edge.

"Did I make the right decision? Because I don't know anymore. What kind of person are you?"

Akio breathed in through his nose. "Rin, you will not speak to me this way. I am your husband and you will show me the proper respect."

"Everybody else here may be afraid of you. But know that I am not." Rin said, shaking her head. She stood there with her hands on her hips.

Akio looked at the little woman in front of him and wilted. He reached out to stroke her cheek and his hand got slapped away.

"Don't touch me right now. I am cross with you."

He felt his blood run hot. "Fine. Just know that if any of your so-called friends comes by to try to take you again, it will be the last thing they do."

Rin started for the door and Akio went to block her path. Rin looked up at him with a rage he had never seen in her before.

"What are you going to do? Hurt me, too?" She said, ducking under his arm and took off out the door.

Rin made her way briskly through the halls and to the garden. She screamed aloud to vent her frustration and then slunk down onto a bench. She closed her eyes and thought of Lord Sesshomaru. So strong, yet so benevolent. She missed him dearly.

" _I miss you so much. Are you thinking of me too?"_


	13. C13: An Imperfect Life

Chapter 13: An imperfect life

In the early morning, Rin stretched out on the futon in one of the guest rooms in the castle. She had been staying here for the past two nights, much to her husband's dismay. Her anger over what happened was subsiding but very slowly. She hadn't gotten the chance to see Ami yet, but was still trying to figure out the words to say to her. She picked herself up and went down the hallway to the room that she shared with Akio. She looked down to see that he was sleeping soundly. He looked so peaceful there and she let out a small crack of a smile before she made her way over to the mirror and sat, grabbing a brush and taking it to her hair. She would return early enough in the mornings that way she could avoid making the fight between her and Akio noticeable.

" _It's been two nights. Maybe I should let this go. Be the bigger person. Even after what he did and said, I do believe he is a good man."_

There was a small knock on the door and Rin walked over to go get it. There was a servant girl who seemed no older than ten at the door with a pot of tea on a tray. Rin smiled at the small girl. She had been coming in Ami's absence in the morning.

"Thank you, I shall serve my husband his tea so you don't have to do it this morning." She said, winking at the girl. She took the tray from her and smiled.

"Have I not been making it right, Lady Rin?" The little servant girl asked concernedly, which made Rin's heart drop. Why was this young girl worried about tea? She should be outside playing and having fun.

"You've been doing just fine. Wait here." Rin said as she went inside to place the teapot down on a table. She looked over the table until she found Akio's sweet stash and grabbed out a small piece of candy. She made her way back over to the door.

"Here. For you." Rin said, smiling at the young girl as she gave her the candy. The young girl looked as if she'd been given gold. "Why don't you take the morning off and go play outside? If anybody bugs you, just say Lady Rin said so."

The girls face lit up even more and she nodded. "Thank you, Lady Rin!" She then took off like lightning down the hall.

"You just made that little brats day. I am not deserving of such a gracious and kind wife." Akio's voice took her ear, making her jump a little. Rin had thought he was asleep. She looked over to him as he stood up and started walking towards her.

"Hm. Maybe." Was all she said back to him.

"Rin.."

"Here, sit." Rin ordered. Akio obliged and made his way over to be seated by the mirror.

Rin poured some tea from the pot into a cup for him and carried it carefully over to him. She then took out the brush and started to brush his hair, not saying a word. He looked at her for a minute, intrigued that she was finally paying attention to him. The past couple of days she ignored him completely. Akio felt her fingers through his hair and sipped his tea, trying to act normal. He couldn't take it anymore; he needed to speak to her. He gently grasped her arm that held the brush, and pulled her closer to him as he turned to face her.

"Rin. I want you back here with me. It pains me to see you gone every night."

She looked at him and wilted a little at his puppy dog eyes. Akio was so handsome it was hard to resist him. But she tried, struggling to release herself.

"You don't think it pains me to sleep alone as well?" She responded, truthfully. The past two nights had been cold and lonely.

Akio then surprised her as he fell to his knees and buried his head in her legs, his hands reaching around her hips.

"Come back, my sweet. I will try to be a kinder man. I can't have this anymore, Rin. I need you with me." He whispered, breathing in her scent.

Rin looked down at him and felt herself melt at his touch. He had made her so angry but now she was just being overcome with desire. Part of her wanted to throw him off and tell him no, but the larger part of her was giving in fast. She had come to enjoy and missed their midnight hours together, becoming entangled in each other's bodies. She pressed both of her hands back on the drawer and leaned backwards against it, feeling weak at the knees. He grabbed at her bottom as he breathed her in, making her gasp.

"I want your body, Rin, right here and now." He said enticingly, and looked up at her as she breathed quickly.

"Then you shall have it." Rin whispered.

Akio became overrun with desire as he had finally won over his wife. He pushed her stomach back a little so she was completely against the dresser and lifted her kimono to throw himself under it. When he did, he began to kiss her ankles, making his way up to her delicate thin legs which brought forth a moan from her lips. He beamed at her loss of control and made his way further up.

Screams of pleasure could be heard coming from the young Lady of the castle that morning up and down the hallway. A servant crossed the room with a look on her face and continued on her route. This was definitely not the first time she had heard such cries coming from Lord Akio's room before, and it probably wouldn't be the last. She merely shrugged and kept walking.

When they finished up, Akio stood up proudly as Rin took a second to regain her composure. Akio grabbed at his tea that he had left and took a big gulp before letting out a sound of satisfaction. He started to dress himself as Rin slowly rose to her feet and went to sit at the mirror and wiped her face with a wet cloth. Neither of them said anything to the other for a couple minutes as they fixed themselves up. He looked in the mirror as he straightened his clothing out, and then looked to Rin, who was still in the nude and sitting at the mirror, brushing her hair for the second time that morning.

"So did you send back a letter to your friends?" He asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Yes. I told them I was fine." She responded, not really wanting to talk about it, as Akio had threatened to hurt them if they ever came around.

"You can't blame me for being upset that they tried to take you, and no less you were planning on keeping it a secret, which is unacceptable."

Rin let out a sound of frustration. She had just let go of her grudge, and now he was jumping at the chance to point of her shortcomings as if he was in any position to. She rose off of her seat and went to go grab the kimono off the ground.

"I didn't though, did I?" She asked him. He kicked her kimono away from her as she tried to pick it up, smiling to himself as if it was a joke.

"Would you have if not persuaded otherwise?" He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her.

"Maybe. I don't know. I just didn't want any issues to arise, which there clearly was." Rin said, pushing away at his chest like a cat trying to claw its way out of its Master's loving embrace. He held her still there as she growled at him. "Please, let me get dressed, Akio."

"I will retract my statements about harming your friends. As long as they do not attempt to take you, I will not be an enemy. They are welcome to come here and see you. But please, you must not try to keep any secrets from me again, my sweet." He said, rubbing his nose against her cheek as she got frustrated with his hold on her.

"Fine! I won't. Now let me go." She demanded. He released his hold on her and she stomped over to her kimono before throwing it on, looking back at Akio in frustration.

"Maybe instead of interrogating me, you should go to Ami." Rin suggested, straightening out her kimono. "Although she probably doesn't want to see you right now after what you did."

"Rin, don't say such things." Akio chided. "I am her Master. Ami would be delighted to see me." At those words, he kissed her cheek, and left her there. Akio's statement reminded her very much of Lord Sesshomaru's unwavering pompous attitude. He was in charge, and everybody should be happy about it.

Rin sighed and couldn't exactly argue with Ami's situation without being a hypocrite. She **had** been the same way towards Lord Sesshomaru, as far as her blind devotion. But she still couldn't imagine Ami being happy with Akio after what he did. Had Lord Sesshomaru been cruel to her, would she have stuck around and loved him like she did? She couldn't say with clarity that it would have dissuaded her from staying with him, because she was so unconditionally in love with him. But he hadn't been, which separated her former situation from Ami's. Sesshomaru had never laid a hand on her, much less whip her like that. She closed her eyes and thought of him before she shook her head at her own thoughts.

" _He is no longer mine to admire. I must think of other things now."_

Akio made his way down the hall, thinking of his situation with Rin. He shook his head at his own attitude. He should not have been so forward. But the other part of him was just glad that their argument was over and that she was being agreeable. He saw a servant woman carrying a bucket of salt water and a cloth down the stairs into the servants quarters.

"Come, Kira, let me take that off of you. It was meant for Ami, right?" He asked, taking the bucket out of her hands.

"Yes, my Lord. Her welts have gone down quite a bit so now I'm just making sure they don't get infected before they fully heal. She should be fine in a day."

"Thank you, Kira. I will take over here." He said, and he got a look of surprise from the servant woman.

"Very well, my Lord. If that is all I'll take my leave." She bowed before going the opposite direction.

Akio nodded and made his way down the steps. He rarely went downstairs into the servants quarters as it was unnecessary for him. He got a few worried looks and bows as he walked down the hallway past a couple rooms. He stopped at Ami's door and let himself in without knocking. When he did, he saw Ami there, lying on her stomach and looking in the opposite direction of the door. Ami heard this and spoke.

"Kira.. you don't need to visit me so often I'll be okay.." She said, closing her eyes.

Akio made his way over to the futon that she was lying on and put the bucket down. He then gently pulled back the thin sheet that was covering her, and looked at her back. He felt bad when he saw the red welts going from her back down to her bottom. Without speaking, he dipped the rag in the salt water and wrung it out. Ami didn't bother turning, as she was in a depressed state and didn't want to face anyone, including other servants.

"Kira, I wish you would not do this everyday. It stings me so." Ami whined as Akio dabbed her welts with the cloth. "I suppose I'll be healed enough by tomorrow or the next day to work. I can't stand lying here all day anymore. It gives me too much time to think."

Akio was intrigued by all these words she was speaking as she was usually quiet when he was around, so he wasn't bothering to tell her that it was him. He cleared his throat and continued without saying a word, as he was dabbing away at the very wounds he created. He felt bad about them, but didn't beat himself up over it at all. She had pushed a noblewoman, and she could have been punished much worse for such an offense if his Mother had been the one to do it.

"I've had yet another nightmare about that horrible place. I could hear them calling out to me. All of my old friends.. They died horribly and I was the one who got away. But it's almost like there is no relief in being the last one standing. Sometimes my guilt makes me wish I had just..

Ami hissed aloud when he dabbed a rather raw spot. "Just sometimes I think I should have died with the others."

Akio stopped completely and tossed the rag into the bucket and sighed, looking away from Ami. He put his hands over his face, deep in thought. He had never heard such depression coming from anybody before. And he did care for the girl, so he didn't want her to feel this way. He dropped his hands to his knees and looked at Ami as she rustled bit.

"You're so silent, Kira, I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable with my thoughts."

"Ami.." He finally said.

Ami opened her eyes and shot up like a lightning bolt when she heard his voice. She scrambled to her knees, covering herself with her sheet.

"My Lord!" She shouted."I didn't know it was you."

"I know." He said, sitting still and looking at her for a couple minutes. "Do you trust me, AmI?"

"Of course I do. I always have." She was still in awe that he was here in her room.

"I will protect you from others… and yourself. It's been 5 years. You must surrender this guilt you carry for your lost friends. It is no fault of yours they are gone."

Ami just looked up at him with admiration and let out a small smile. He was her knight in shining armor, and no one could take that from her. He always knew the right thing to say or do.

"Come, Ami." He said, reaching out to her and pulling her onto his lap. She blushed and kept the sheet secure in her fist, as to keep herself covered. Akio began to run his fingers through Ami's hair, making her close her eyes in bliss. This was something he had been doing since he rescued her from that horrible place. He felt bad for the girl and wanted to be close to her, and from that action he had gained a great amount of love and admiration from the girl. Ami noticed that it had stopped around the time he met Rin months ago. Some might think it strange but Ami was happy to be so close to her Master again.

"Oh, Ami. You are so loyal to me. You make me very happy."

"Then I am happy, too, my Lord." She chimed in, so blinded by his touch and his flattery. "I thought you might still be angry with me."

"You are forgiven. Infact, Lady Rin wants you back with her. She still likes you very much."

Ami almost sighed aloud at this. She was hoping that she would not be going back to Rin, as it caused a bunch of trouble for her.

"Is it **your** wish that I go back to her, my Lord?"

"It is, Ami. You will start tomorrow morning since you are so eager to leave this bed."

"Thank you, Master." Ami said.

Akio breathed in Ami's scent, and could feel her heat through the thin sheet that covered her.

"You need to do something for me, Ami."

"What is it, my Lord?"

"I need you to be my eyes. If Lady Rin gets anymore letters, I want you to bring them to me first. Also, if she says anything you think is important for me to know, I'd like you to tell me." He ran his finger over her collarbone and she moaned lightly. So Rin **had** showed him the letter. It frustrated Ami more that it took what it did to convince Rin to just tell the truth.

"Of course, my Lord."

"Good. I know you will not hesitate to tell me anything that goes on. You will be rewarded for any information."

"All I want is to serve you, my Lord. Just keep me like this, please."

He felt himself become aroused by these words. It didn't help that Ami was half naked to begin with. She wasn't eleven anymore, she was a sixteen year old girl and his body took notice of this. He coughed to distract himself from feeling this way. He gently lifted Ami to his side and stood up, wanting to end this conversation before he thought more of the situation at hand.

"My loyal girl… she will always have her Master to protect her." Akio said, stroking Ami's cheek before he started to head for the door. She melted at his touch, as she usually would. This was the kind of typical scenario that Ami would find herself in. Akio swooping in to make her fall even more for his charm and flattery. Ami sat there, breathing loudly. Ami had felt his arousal and in turn, she felt it as well. She slowly began to lay back down on her futon, closing her eyes. She felt bothered in the best way possible.

" _I shouldn't desire him this way.. But I can't help it.."_

Ami slowly moved her hands under the sheet.

…

Rin was in the gardens, with her hair tied back, shakily holding a bow and arrow. She pulled back on the bow and released. The arrow was released from the bow with great force but it missed the target board completely. She tapped her foot in frustration before she heard someone laugh aloud and looked across the garden to see that Lady Mai had been watching and was, of course, taking her chance to poke fun.

Pulling out another arrow, Rin felt like aiming for her mother-in-law this time, but refrained. She had been out here a few times before trying to learn how to use the bow and arrow. She was her own teacher, so it wasn't exactly going well. But she knew it was important to learn how to defend herself if she ever wanted to leave the village.

" _Damn! Why does Akio give me such doubt? I wish I could trust him completely, but I can't. My better instincts tell me to keep caution. I have to be able to leave if I need to. I need to have the upper hand. I can no longer be a damsel in distress."_

She let another one go, again it completely missed the target. Rin growled in frustration and sat down.

"It seems that the arrow does not come naturally to you." A voice said from a few feet away. Rin looked up to see her father-in-law standing there.

"Apparently not. But I wish to master it.. so I will."

"I've never been much for bow and arrow, either. It takes a certain kind of person to master that kind of weapon. You don't seem the type. You're far too high strung." He criticized, touching her shoulder.

"Are you saying I should give up trying to learn?" Rin asked, disappointed.

"No no." Eito chimed happily, holding her scarred hand up for her to look at it. "I saw what you did to that target a while ago. You carry a high energy and brute strength. If you want to see a weapon that will be more suited to you, follow me."

Rin was curious now. She was following her father-in-law in great anticipation. He seemed excited as well, he was walking a little faster than he normally would have. They eventually came to a room inside the castle that Rin had never seen before. There were racks lined with different weapons throughout the room. She looked at some of the weapons as Eito picked some up and set them back down, struggling to even hold most.

"Why don't you try this on for size?" Eito took her hand and placed in it a long, thin sword. He took a few steps back to allow her to wave it around a little bit and get comfortable with it. Rin smiled as she looked at it. When she held the sword in her grip she thought of Lord Sesshomaru using his Baksaiga with grace and skill. She tried to hold it as he would, and smirked. Who would've thought Rin would ever be holding a sword? She knew right away that Lord Eito knew what he was talking about. It was perfect.

"It's great. It feels more natural." She said, smiling at him.

"Then it is yours, my dear." Eito said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "But I expect you to work hard at mastering it."

"Thank you!" Rin beamed happily before stopping herself. "I don't know if I should though. I wouldn't know the first thing about swords, even if I've seen them used for so long. I've never used one myself."

Eito smiled and stepped forward, excited about the girl's enthusiasm.

"I will do my best to show you how to master the sword. I am an old man, this is true. But I am not completely incapable. I taught my son and now you will learn, too. That is, if you will have me for a teacher."

"Of course!" Rin said with delight, before making herself stop. "I fear that your son will not like this arrangement though."

"I am afraid my son may have inherited some of his mother's **finer** qualities." Eito said sarcastically. "They are both far too used to having everything exactly as they want it. But that is no concern of yours. If it your desire to learn how to do it with or without Akio's blessing. You are an ambitious girl. You will not be dissuaded from doing what you truly want."

Rin lifted the sword and smiled at the old man. "So when do we begin?"

"Anxious girl! I will meet you here at noon tomorrow and we will begin training. I must say I am excited to have a pupil again after so long."

"And I am glad to have a teacher that I am so fond of."

Lord Eito laughed aloud and patted the girl's head as he began to walk out of the room. "I will see you tomorrow at noon, dear Rin."

Rin waved it around for a bit longer before leaving the room. She came to her room and placed it on the table, sat cross legged and stared at it for a while. She was excited for the next day to come. Learning to handle a sword was about much more than defending herself and being able to leave if she chose. She closed her eyes and thought of Lord Sesshomaru again. She already resigned herself to the fact she would never forget about him.

" _I will find you again."_

Rin crawled over to a big chest that was close by in the room and dug her hand under it, pulling out a small box. She crawled back over to the table and opened it, looking at the items inside. In the box were all of the things that Lord Sesshomaru had gifted her over her years with him, she sifted through it until she found her amethyst necklace. When she did, she gently wrapped it around the handle of the sword and set it back down, watching the purple glow daintily.

When she heard the door open, she snapped the box closed and looked over, expecting to see Akio. Instead, it was Ami who entered the room. Rin looked over to her and tried to find the right thing to say, but she had been caught off guard.

"I'm sorry for coming in like this. I just…" Ami was clearly anxious. She came over and sat down on her knees to be at Rin's level.

"It's okay, Ami. I'm sorry for what happened to you." Rin said, "I should have protected you."

"Please, don't be sorry. I lost myself. I deserved nothing less." Ami responded.

"No. What my husband did was awful. You bear him no ill will after that?"

"I could never bear any ill will against him. He takes care of me. He protects me."

Rin nodded and stroked the amethyst as Ami spoke. She expected this kind of response. "It's nice to know that someone is there to protect you." She agreed before sighing.

"What is this, Lady Rin?"

"Lord Eito is going to teach me how to handle a sword. He is such a good man."

"He is. But I was asking what this was." Ami gently touched the amethyst and looked at Rin with curiosity.

"Oh.. this was a gift from Lord Sesshomaru. He gave it to me a while ago."

"The demon Lord? He must have cared for you very much to gift you something so lovely as this."

"Yes. He did care for me."

"I'm sure he still does, Lady Rin."

Rin frowned, she wanted to end this conversation before she got upset.

"Well if there is nothing more to say.."

"Yes.." Ami said, standing. "Have a good evening, Lady Rin."

…..

The next morning, Rin woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside of her window. She was excited to begin training today. She looked to her side and noticed that her husband had never come home the night before, which was strange because he always did. It was not abnormal for him to miss dinner and come to bed after she was asleep. But this time he had not come at all. She shook her head and rose up to dress herself.

She heard a knock on the door and Ami entered. Rin watched her and she set down a pot of tea, not seeming confused by Akio's absence at all.

"Good morning" She chimed as she poured a cup for Rin.

"Morning… where is my husband?" Rin inquired, sipping at the tea.

"Well, he left yesterday to visit one of the neighboring villages and he hasn't returned yet." Ami said cheerfully, and sat down next to Rin. "But don't worry, that happens sometimes. He'll be back today, I'm certain."

"Oh." Rin said, dropping her worry. "Well, here, you have tea with me instead, then. I've missed having you around, Ami. I hope everything between us is okay."

"Lady Rin, I just want to forget about what happened." Ami said, pouring herself a cup of tea and sipping at it. "What time do you begin training?"

That broke Rin from her thoughts. "Noon. Just let me know when Lord Akio gets back, please."

"Of course."

…..

The sword came swinging slowly towards Rin and she placed both hands on hers and lifted it to block. She let out a grunt as she held it there with all of her strength as Eito pressed his sword down. Even though he was an old man, he was an aggressive teacher. It was the first day and she had already learned so many different things. She sweated through a simple white kimono used for sport. She breathed aloud and she pushed back and Akio's sword was pushed away from her.

Akio smiled greatly at the girl's ferocity. He hadn't had this much excitement in a long time. He placed his sword down on the rack and sighed in exhaustion.

"Dear Rin, that is enough for today. You wear out this old man."

"Old man, you exhaust me as well." She said, laughing breathily.

Rin kissed Eito on the cheek before they parted ways and she started down the hall, trying to choke back her exhaustion from such a vigorous training session. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

"Lady Rin!" She heard from down the hall. It was Ami, walking towards her. "Lord Akio is back, and he is in your room now."

"Thank you, Ami." Rin breathed out. "I wish to go to him alone."

Ami nodded at Rin and watched as she walked by her.

When Rin got to the room, Akio was replacing his clothing with something cleaner.

"I woke up and you weren't here." Rin said, folding her arms.

"Rin! My sweet, I am relieved to see you." Akio said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the lips. He had his arms around her when he noticed her dress and the sword on her side. "What is all this?"

"Well, I started training with your father." Rin said.

Akio started laughing a bit and grabbed at her bottom. She could tell by his movements and smell that he had been drinking the night before and might still be a bit intoxicated.

"Only you, Rin, would desire to do such a thing. That's what I like about you."

"Don't mock me, Akio. I'm serious." She said, not appreciating the laughing.

"Rin, are not excited to see me?" He wrapped his hands around her hips.

"Where were you last night?"

Akio pushed away at her hips and she stumbled back a little bit, catching herself. She pushed him back with her hands.

"Why are you so difficult? I was out on business last night." He said in defense.

"Is that why you smell like sake and sweat?" She taunted him.

Akio sighed heavily, too tired to carry on such an argument.

"Yes, yes. If you wish to hear it, there was a celebration. We were making a big delivery and settling some business the Elder of the village and he wanted me to share a few drinks with him."

Rin moved herself over to the bench by the mirror and placed the sword upright by it before she sat and put her hands on her temples. She knew already that he had been out all night drinking. Why should she care? She did not love him, although it did frustrate her that he thought he could just do whatever he wanted without telling her and come home to a loving wife with welcoming arms.

"Oh Akio, don't treat me like this. My heart can't take it. I have lost so much."

Akio stopped himself and really looked at Rin, she looked so beautiful even as she was covered in sweat. He felt bad for leaving her all night like he did with no notice.

" _I have shared my body with many women before, but none please me so much as when I am with her."_

He took her hand and led her to the futon with him and laid down, motioning for her to lay beside him. She laid down on her side and he wrapped himself around her.

"Rin.. I am sorry." He breathed out as she took comfort in his warm body. They both fell asleep there in the middle of the day, exhausted and jaded.

…

((One year later))

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken shouted. "This is all coming along so great. The base floor has already been finished and so the men say the rest will be a breeze! This crew has been working swiftly."

"Hn. The quicker it goes up, the greater the reward, they know that." Sesshomaru said, leaning up against a boulder, closing his eyes. "Another year at least, though, I presume."

"This is very exciting, my Lord."

Sesshomaru remained silent. The past year had been busy until now. Finding someone to build his estate, finding a place to build it. Getting all the finer details out of the way. Now he just had to wait. It was all being taken care of now. He didn't like being idle like this. He breathed out and figured it best if he fell asleep. He let himself doze off.

 _Sesshomaru stood in front of a large river, looking to either side, slightly confused. He was completely alone. A wind came through and he heard a cackle of a laugh he hadn't heard in ages fill the air. He had recognized the laugh as that of Naraku. His initial reaction was to take out his sword._

" _Show yourself!" Sesshomaru demanded._

 _The laughing ended abruptly and Sesshomaru sniffed the air, smelling absolutely nothing. He was still on his guard, even though he knew that Naraku was dead and it couldn't possibly have been him. That was when he saw a body floating on the river, head down with the back exposed. He recognized this body. It was curvy and pale and damaged, as it had a hole where the heart should be, all bloodied and bruised._

" _Kagura." He said, walking into the water to retrieve the body. "It can't be her."_

 _The water made its way up to his waist as he finally reached the body. Sesshomaru could feel his brows tighten as he stared at the body before him. He was hesitant to turn it, as if something horrible might happen. He had witnessed Kagura die with his own eyes ages ago, yet here her body was, floating lifelessly in the river._

 _He breathed in and began to turn the body around slowly. What he saw made him jump back._

 _The face he was looking at was not that of Kagura's, but of Rin's. And it was horribly bruised and beaten with blood trickling down the lip. He began to breathe quickly as he dragged the body out of the water._

" _Rin.." He said in horror. "How could.."_

 _He laid her body down by the water and investigated it to see if she was still alive. But she was not._

" _You failed to save her." The voice called again._

 _He became heavy with rage as he looked upon the dead body of Rin before him. He growled heavily until he became so filled with rage that his eyes turned red and his fangs grew larger. He let out a roar that filled the air._

Sesshomaru gasped and lifted his head, his eyes red with anxiety. He was still laying down by the boulder that he had fallen asleep by. He looked to Jaken, who was feeding Ah Un and let out a heavy breath before leaning back again, bringing his hand to his forehead.

" _A dream? I haven't dreamt in ages." He thought to himself, still worked up from such a sight. He was relieved to know that it was not real though._

This was the first time he had thought of Rin in a very long time, he had been so distracted before. He tried to relax but Sesshomaru simply couldn't let this bad feeling go until he saw that the image was not real. He felt an irresistible urge to know that Rin was okay.

"Jaken, stay here with Ah Un. I will be back in a couple of days."

"Yes, my Lord."

…

When Sesshomaru reached his destination, he stopped himself before he took another step toward the village. He could see the castle not too far away through the trees. He thought of Rin and how she was so angry with him the last time they saw each other. Certainly she would not want to see him at all. And if he was being honest with himself, he did not want her to see him showing such concern for her, as that might start a new wave of problems.

"She cannot see me. No one can see me." Sesshomaru told himself as he flew onto the roof of the palace and waited patiently for any sign of Rin or someone who would have come into contact with her. He looked around the gardens and sighed.

" _Why am I here right now? Why all of a sudden such concern? This Sesshomaru confuses himself."_

But at the same time, he could not rid himself of the horrible face he had seen in his dream. He needed to see Rin's face. He needed to see that she was okay. He waited for at least two hours. He cursed himself for being so diligent.

Just then, two girls came strolling into the garden. One he remembered as the servant girl that had been listening in on his conversation with him and the Lord and Lady of the castle. He gasped when he looked to the girl next to him.

He looked at her long wavy hair and her olive skin. He took in her crooked smile and her infectious laugh as she was making conversation with the other girl. She looked so much more mature than how he had left her. She wasn't scarred, or bruised like in his dream. She was not only fine, she was lovely. Sesshomaru wanted more than ever to let her know that he was there right that second, but held himself back. He did not need her knowing this. He didn't want her to know that he had come all this way just to see her face.

" _She is fine. She is okay.. Why don't I want to leave, then?"_

He stayed and watched her engage and walk around for a little bit before he forced himself up to remove himself without a trace.

((Meanwhile))

"Ami. You must tell him to stop bugging you!" Rin laughed aloud.

"Lady Rin, have I not tried? He insists that it's going to happen. I tell you, all the castle guards do is flirt tenaciously with the girls who work here." Ami said, giggling to herself as well. "It's become old very quickly."

Rin sighed happily as she shook her head. Ami and her had mended their relationship well over the past year, although she made sure that she never told Ami something that Akio couldn't hear. Not that anything really came up, anyways. She hadn't heard from anyone for a very long time, and spent most of her time either with Ami or Lord Eito. She had been training very hard with her father-in-law and was already very good. The year had really gone by rather quickly and she couldn't believe that she had already been there so long. Her relationship with Akio had improved very much. He tried to be around more often, and she was doing her best to make him happy. Things right now were going as well as they could be, although the hole in her heart she felt from the beginning never really went away.

"Lady Mai has been on about you, again." Ami told Rin, making her roll her eyes.

"What about me, this time?" Rin inquired.

"She was whining to me the other day about how you have not been bearing sons for your husband." Ami said, shaking her head. "As if it is something you can simply choose not to do. I think of all people, she should know that. I've heard she did not become with child until she was already 28 years of age."

"Such a hypocrite." Rin sighed. "Besides, my husband could care less whether or not I bear him any children right now. He is far too busy to care. I could certainly wait."

Rin had no desire to have any children right now, and thought maybe she was willing her own body to avoid such things to happen. She had the feeling that she was not meant to have them. Not right now at least.

Just then, she had the weirdest sensation that she was being watched. Rin hadn't felt like this for a long time. She looked around aimlessly and up at the buildings but didn't see anything. But she could feel it. She knew that someone had been watching her. She could sense it with her whole being. Her instincts told her what it meant. She said aloud what her mind thought of this sudden feeling. Rin felt his presence. There was no doubt that he was around here somewhere watching.

"Sesshomaru.." She whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Ami asked, confused.

Rin panicked as she saw an orb of light in the distance, headed away from the village.

"I have to go, Ami." Rin ran back inside the castle and raced to her room, trying not to knock anybody down on the way. Ami followed her as quickly as she could. Rin quickly grabbed her sword and threw it in her belt and headed for the door. Ami was a short distance behind her.

"Lady Rin! Please! What are you doing?"

"Ami, I am sorry but I can't tell you." Rin said, "Now please don't follow me."

The guards looked confused as they saw the Lady of the castle race out the door. They both turned to Ami.

"What's going on?" One of them asked. "Should we be following her?"

"She asked me not to, so I guess not." Ami wasn't stupid, she knew that Rin was heading outside of the village.

Ami walked back inside and started to check the rooms for Akio.

Meawhile, Rin had reached the edge of the village and kept running. She ran through the woods until she came to a clearing and stopped, falling onto her knees when she sensed his presence.

"Am I going crazy?" She asked aloud. "Or are you here?"

Sesshomaru was up in a tree, listening to the sounds Rin was making. He peered down at her and kept his position. He saw the amethyst necklace he had given her so long ago wrapped around what looked like a sword. He was oddly surprised by the sight of a weapon on what used to be his Rin. He was more surprised to see that she kept his gift so close to her.

" _Imagine me, the great dog demon, hiding from a human girl. What a joke I have played on myself." He thought._

"I know I saw you. I felt your presence." She said again, feeling hopeless and silly, while smiling to herself. "Did you come to see me?"

He still kept his silence as he sat down on the branch of the tree, listening to her voice. It was like torture, but he made himself stay exactly where he was.

Rin sat down on her bottom, and hugged her knees to her.

"So silent…" She said. "If you are here, I just want you to know that I am sorry for the things I said to you before you left. You made me so angry, but I have since forgiven you. But I have not forgotten you."

Sesshomaru felt his chest ache at her words. He hadn't felt this ache for a very long time now, and now that he was around Rin , it was happening again. He wanted it to stop.

"Please just show yourself and let me know I am not crazy." She cried.

Sesshomaru sighed and took off so quickly that she could barely see a flash of light as he flew away into the sky. But that was all Rin needed to know that it was him. She smiled to herself, wondering why after a year and a half he had come. And why he had hidden from her.

Rin grunted and threw herself onto the ground, her arms out as she stared up into the sky.

" _So it was you.."_

She laid there, enjoying her freedom from the village, and thought of Sesshomaru in a daze for what seemed like hours before she picked herself up onto her feet. She could see that the sun was going down and grudgingly headed back for the village.

Rin knew right away something was up when the guards didn't greet her, they simply opened up the doors for her and let her in. She took a deep breath and walked inside. Ami was already there waiting for her. When Ami saw her, she took a breath of relief and walked over to her and took her hand.

"Lady Rin, I am so relieved to see that you are okay. We sent people out earlier to look for you."

"If I wanted to be found, I would have been." Rin said, not caring very much for how anyone had felt about her absence. That was the first time she had left the village unaccompanied and she was in such a strange mood from having seen what was definitely Sesshomaru, that she was not concerned for anything but him. She let Ami hold her hand while they made their way down the hall to her room.

Ami was silent as she helped Rin put away her sword and change into another kimono. Rin enjoyed the silence as Ami brushed lightly through her hair, being careful not to get any knots. After a few minutes of this, Ami bit her lip.

"I had to tell him, you know." Ami said, putting the brush down. Rin nodded at her.

"Of course."

Just then, a few servants came in and put down a few trays of food before exiting. Akio and Rin often dined together, but not in their room. Rin took notice of the odd situation. Ami stroked Rin's hair with her hands.

"Are you okay?" She asked Rin, showing concern.

"I'm alright, thank you Ami." Rin let out a fake smile at the girl. She made her way over to sit and wait and Ami stood silently, nervously chewing at one of her fingernails.

After a few minutes, Akio showed up at the door with a blank look on his face. Ami looked over to him, waiting for him to say anything.

"Ami, I want to be alone with Lady Rin for dinner. We will not need you to serve us tonight."

Ami bowed her head and looked at Rin before exiting the room. She closed the door and tried to walk away from the room but stayed close to the door.

Rin looked down as she started to scoop out some food onto a plate and place it on Akio's side of the table. She placed some rice for him and poured some tea as he came over to sit down. He was looking at her but she refused to look back at him. She made herself a plate before she sat back and nodded. Akio grabbed his sticks and began to eat slowly, occasionally looking over at Rin.

Rin knew that he was angry, so she just avoided speaking as she slowly ate a little bit of rice. The air was so thick in the room, you could cut it with a knife. They stayed like this for several minutes before Akio put down his plate.

"Rin." He said, wanting her attention. She finally looked at him and saw that he was on edge.

"Yes." She said, acknowledging him.

"Where did you go today?" He asked as calmly as he could.

"I'm not sure." She responded, shrugging her shoulders. "In the woods."

Akio sighed at her short answer before speaking again.

"You left the village today. Why?"

"I wanted to see the outside for once."

He slammed his fist down on the table, making Rin jump. She put her bowl down on the table and looked at the floor, not wanting to eat or be near Akio when he was like this.

"Lies. We go to the river every other week."

"I wanted to be alone." Rin said frustrated.

"You could have been killed. I specifically told you not to leave the village without me."

Rin looked at him as she shrugged her shoulders. "I was fine. I am not helpless."

At these words, Akio swiped with the table with his whole arm, knocking every plate, bowl and cup to the floor. Everything that hit the floor broke into pieces. Rin gasped and looked over to Akio as he stood and turned his back to her for a moment. Her eyes were wide with surprise and uncertainty. She did not move even an inch. He turned back around and looked down at her.

"So you think one year of training with my nearly crippled father is enough experience for you to take on a whole band of thugs, yes? We both know that is not so." He shouted.

"Akio, please." She whispered loudly, hinting to him that he should calm himself and lower his voice. But he was having none of that this moment.

"Well, if that is the source of such ignorant behavior, we'll have to be rid of it. I'm going to be telling my father that you are not training with him anymore."

Rin felt the heat rush to her ears. She couldn't believe he was trying to do this to her. He knew how much she loved her sword and training with it.

"You can't do that." Rin said, rising to her feet. "I'm sorry I left the village, but nothing happened. You cannot take this away from me."

"I cannot?" He said back to her, almost as if he'd been challenged.

He started for her sword that hung on the wall and when he grabbed it, she tried to grab at it as well. He held it to him, careful not to cut himself or Rin as she tried to wrestle it away from him. He got it out of her hands and she grabbed onto the amethyst necklace in a last attempt to take it from him. The chain on the necklace broke and the necklace fell to the ground. Akio looked out the window before throwing the sword out of it.

"Looks like I can. Do not try to defy me right now, you have already done enough." He said lifting a finger.

Rin was on her knees with her broke necklace in her hands, looking at it and choking back tears. She was devastated. She didn't say a word to him. She simply pulled out her box from under the chest and placed her necklace back in, closing the box and replacing it.

"You will be not be leaving the castle for the next few days. I have already alerted the guards not to let you pass the front doors. And they will stop you."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Rin cried, slamming her fist into the floor.

"Is it not obvious? Rin, you swore that you would not leave without me. You swore. My heart was destroyed when I was sitting here, wondering what would become of you. Wondering whether or not my men would find you before the vagabonds did. You defied me. That's why I'm doing this."

Rin was running on anger and sadness. Whether or not what he was saying was the truth, she couldn't respect his way of dealing with this. She stood up and went over to him, looking him in the eyes.

"Your heart? No! You know very well it was your pride that was struck! Don't you dare claim to have a heart right now!" She shouted at him angrily.

A loud sound echoed in the room. Rin was thrown back by the vicious slap that had come down on her cheek. A second one came down, connecting with her nose and lip. She gasped and placed her hands over her face. Her body was in defense mode and her mind was too shocked to think straight.

Akio stood there in shock for a moment, and looked at Rin, surprised and angry. He hadn't meant to lash out at Rin like that, but he had. He couldn't believe himself. He looked at his hands and then back to Rin.

"Rin.." He said before he stumbled out of the room. Ami was at the side of the door looking terrified, she had obviously heard everything. She bowed her head at him when she saw him looking at her. He slammed the door behind him and stormed down the hall. She waited until he was completely out of sight before rushing into the room.

When Ami came into the room she saw Rin there on her knees, with one hand over one side of her face, and the other working hard at picking up all the smashed china bowls and plates off the floor. She didn't even bother looking at Ami as she tried to distract herself with this task.

"Lady Rin, please, I'll take care of this." She offered, kneeling down by her to finish picking up the pieces that were left.

"Just let me, Ami." Rin said, looking up and moving her hand down to pick up the last piece. Ami looked shocked.

"Kami! Rin! Your face. Come." Ami said, trying to pull Rin up to sit on the bench.

"No, Ami, please." Rin choked back tears and pulled her hand back.

Ami fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Rin in a comforting fashion as Rin began to tremble and cry aloud. When she released her, she got together a white sheet and dipped it in some water and began to dab Rin's face as she cried. The right side of her face was red and puffy and her lip was bleeding. Ami's heart sank at the sight of it.

"I'm sorry this happened." Ami said, helping Rin to stand on her feet.

Ami cleaned up the rest of the mess on the floor as Rin sat down on the bench, not daring to look in the mirror at all. She didn't want to see any evidence of what just happened. She had had such a good year with Akio, and it had all been destroyed in one day. She didn't know what to do or say anymore. She stayed silent and so did Ami.

" _Rin, why have you pushed him to this?" Ami thought while finishing up a couple things around the room. "Lord Akio is not a monster. And yet.." She looked at Rin's face and shook her head._

"Would you like for me to stay here for the night?" Ami asked, trying to be helpful.

"No, I'm okay, Ami. Thank you."

When Ami left for the evening, Rin stood up and made her way over to pick up her box of gifts from Lord Sesshomaru and made her way onto her futon. She curled up with the box in her arms, holding on to it for dear life.

" _Sesshomaru. Oh, it was nice to know that you were there today. I needed that. But.. what am I to do now?" She thought._

" _What am I going to do?"_

(( I know! Super lonnnnggg chapter but I wanted to get so much in that it had to happen that way. Thank you for reading. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.))


	14. The Eastern Twins and Rin's Decision

Chapter 14: The Eastern Twins and Rin's Decision

When Sesshomaru got back to camp he was greeted by a delighted Jaken.

"'My Lord!" Jaken screeched. He ran over and noticed that Sesshomaru had a look on his face he had not seen in a while. It was slight but it was noticeable. There was a somber tone in his eyes. "My Lord?"

"Yes?" Sesshomaru acknowledged, letting Jaken speak.

He listened to Jaken speak of things that were of no interest to him as he made his way over to be seated. He stared into the sky for a bit, unable to shake the encounter he had had with Rin. He cursed himself for letting her find out that he had come. Although he was relieved and shocked to see how much she had matured in a year and half. Her face was harder, much less innocent. But it did not take away from her beauty, if anything, it made her more appealing.

" _I must not think of her this way." Sesshomaru thought to himself. "I must continue on the path that I have set for myself."_

 _He thought of her calling out to him, telling him that she was sorry, she had forgiven him, and pleaded for him to come out._

"-and then we received this letter from the Lady Mother.." Jaken babbled on.

This caught Sesshomaru out of his thoughts.

"The letter. Bring it to me." He snapped.

Jaken pulled out a paper and made his way over to Sesshomaru, handing it to him. Sesshomaru leaned back and read it to himself.

" _Sesshomaru,_

 _If my dearest son will grace me with his presence, I would be most pleased."_

Sesshomaru was amused after reading such a short and to the point letter. His Mother was not one to drag on, much like him. She left it as a request rather than an order, giving him the illusion that it was his choice. He thought of her for a minute and hoped this was not about the old dog demon. He had avoided that whole situation for over a year and was fine to not have to think about that ugly cousin of his, trying to charm his way into his Mother's graces. The thought sickened him. He shook his head and breathed out.

"Jaken."

"Yes my Lord?"

"Tommorow I leave to go see her. I trust that you will keep an eye on things while I am gone."

…

Rin awoke the next morning in a daze. She held her head as it ached. She looked to her side and was pleased to see that Akio was not next to her. The box that she had fallen asleep with was next to her, with all of her things knocked over and out. She gathered the things slowly and put them back into the box. When she got to her amethyst necklace, she stopped and held it up to look at it. The chain had been broken in her struggle with her husband. She sighed and held the necklace to her heart before returning it to the box.

Rin stood up slowly and made her way over to the mirror and sat down, looking at her own face for the first time since the night before. She hissed at the sight. The right side of her face was a dark blue and the cut on her lip was scabbing. She let her fingers trace her face and replayed the events of the night before in her head. She had never seen such cruelty come from Akio. He had been so patient and understanding when she came. What changed? How could he have taken away the thing that meant most to her? She sighed and walked over to the table and sat, holding her head.

" _How could this have happened? Everything was going so well. And even now I contemplate staying. You are such a fool, Rin."_

She heard a knock on the door.

"Go away, please." She said, knowing that either Ami or another servant would surely be at the door, and she did not want company.

The door opened anyways, and Akio invited himself in. Rin covered her face with the sleeves of her kimono and looked away from him, wanting only for him to be gone. The fact he had the audacity to come in after what he had done last night was astonishing. Silently, he made his way over and set down a pot of tea on the table. He was looking at her but she was doing her best to avoid looking at him.

"Rin.." He said, looking at her hair as it messily flowed around her frame. He kneeled down on the floor across from her, hoping she was speak to him. He felt awful about the night before. "Please, let me say something."

"I said **go away**." She stayed her position, hiding her face from his sight.

"Please, Rin. We both said some things and did some things we didn't mean."

Rin became angry. How dare he try to place any of the blame on her? He even tried to act as if she was just going to forget about it. Even if she hadn't meant to call him heartless, she had in her fit of anger and she wasn't going to back down now.

"I meant what I said." She said back. "Please go."

"My sweet, surely you did not mean to call me heartless. You know that is not true. Rin.." He came around to her side and reached out for her. Rin turned her back to him and bit her lip in frustration. Akio put his hand on her back, as if to comfort her. But the last thing she wanted was him anywhere near her at this moment. "I did not mean to hurt you."

Rin placed both of her hands in her face, in a flurry of emotions. She was not at all ready to forgive what he had done. She breathed heavily as she felt his hands caress her back.

"My love, I have been beating myself up all night over this. I harmed the very one I was supposed to protect. I need your forgiveness. I cannot forgive myself unless you do. Tell me that I am not the heartless monster you proclaim me to be."

Rin stood up and walked away from him. He stood and followed desperately, crazed by the idea that she would not even speak with him. He called her name and tugged at her kimono for attention, and she would not give it. She just kept walking away until she came to the wall and leaned against it with her hand, becoming exhausted from his persistence.

"Leave me. Just go away." She pleaded. "I don't want to see you."

"You don't mean that." Akio placed his arms on either side of her, with no intention of leaving her be. She whipped around to face him and looked into his eyes furiously as his face dropped. He hadn't seen her face up until now, and he was taken aback.

"Oh, my sweet.. Forgive me." He whispered as he ran his fingers down the right side of her face gently. Rin stood still and said nothing as he silently cursed himself. He leaned in and she turned her face away from him. "Do not spurn me. Let me comfort you. Allow me to make it better." Akio leaned in and wrapped his arms around her as her arms hung loosely, refusing to hold him back.

"You speak of forgiveness… but you don't know anything of it." She said in a low tone.

Akio sighed and shook his head. He expected her to be angry with him, so it was no surprise when she wanted nothing to do with him. At the same time, he was tiring quickly of chasing Rin's affections when she was clearly inconsolable. He released her from his embrace and took a step back. He brushed off his clothing and stood up straight.

"You will come to me when you are ready, then?"

"You are pompous to think that I will come to you." She said sternly.

"If it your wish to suffer then so be it. I have tried to console you, to ask you to forgive last night. I will not beg, Rin. Besides, you brought this upon yourself. You broke your promise to me. I should have been more delicate, but I am not alone to blame. I will not have such blatant defiance."

"And I will not have a husband who believes he can treat me this way." She snapped back, putting her hands on her hips. "Now leave me."

Akio took a deep breath through his nose, frustrated. "Fine. If you will not have me, you will not have anyone. No one else will comfort you. You are to stay in this room until-" He brushed her face with his fingers as she jerked away from him. " **this** is healed."

Rin felt like she had been pierced through the heart. "So you will imprison your own wife?"

"Don't put it that way, Rin. You can be so melodramatic. I simply do not want you about the castle looking like that."

"You did this to me! This is your doing. Do not punish me for your actions."

Akio tried not to be swayed by RIn's words, but he felt a twinge of guilt as he heard the strain in her voice. He wanted to take it all back, but it was too late. He couldn't undo time. He couldn't undo the bruises. But he couldn't have anyone seeing them, either. What would the public think if they saw his Lady in this state? He had to keep up his good image, and Rin would have to oblige and stay where she was.

"Come to me, Rin, and I will try to make this all easier for you. It is not my desire to be cruel to you."

"Then why are you? I didn't ask for any of this." She cried. "Do not ask me to come to you. I will not be won over by empty apologies, Akio."

"Don't accuse me of being insincere. I meant what I said. I will speak to you when you are feeling more reasonable." Akio huffed and turned his back to her, placing his hands on his temples before he abruptly made his way out the door, slamming it behind him. Rin angrily went for the door to go after him, but when she tried to open it, she found that she couldn't. In a fit of panic, she slammed the door with her fist.

"Akio!" She shouted, hitting the door again. She continued to shout his name and hit the door for the next two minutes until she was sure that he was not coming back.

The sounds of Rin calling out his name made Akio cringe at his actions, but he forced himself away from the door. He walked up the hall, his spirit sinking fast. He did not want this, but he had dug a hole too deep to get himself out of. He cursed himself as he slowly walked away. Ami was strolling up the hall in the opposite direction with a small basket in her arms.

"Ami." he called for her, motioning for her to come to him. She slowly made her way over to him, and he could tell right away she was not being herself. Ami always smiled when she saw him, and now she looked timid and unsure.

"Yes, My Lord?" She asked, bowing her head.

" _Perhaps she is frightened after overhearing last night."_ He thought as he looked inside the basket and saw a jar with some kind of balm in it.

"What is this?" He asked, holding the jar up.

"A remedy for Lady Rin." Ami said meekly, keeping her head low. "Kira made it."

Akio's eyebrows tightened and he reached out his other hand to lift Ami's face. "Did you tell Kira about last night?"

"No, my Lord. I have not told anyone." She said quickly, looking into his eyes.

Akio nodded and ran a finger down Ami's face. "It's best we keep these things to ourselves."

"Yes, Master." She said, enjoying the warm feeling of his touch, but also taking caution over the events of the previous night. Ami was sad that Akio had struck Rin, but her love and admiration refused to let her be angry at him over it.

"Lady Rin is not going to be coming out, and nobody besides me is going in, so you will have to take this back." He said, replacing the balm in the basket. "She doesn't need this, anyways."

"But, my Lord.." Ami argued.

"Ami. She is fine. As far as everyone else is concerned, Lady Rin is very ill and no one is to enter my chambers."

Ami nodded her head and Akio winked at her before strolling down the hallway. She felt a heavy amount of guilt weighing her down. She was concerned for Rin and wanted to help her, but at the same time did not want to defy Akio's orders. She sighed and walked away somberly, occasionally looking back at the door.

…

When Sesshomaru arrived to his Mother's palace, he sniffed the air. There was a scent lingering in the air he hadn't smelled before. It was sweet smelling, like honey. But the smell was most definitely coming from live creatures. He found himself intrigued by the smell and approached the palace with caution, not knowing who or what might be causing this scent. He landed on the front steps of the castle and could hear his Mother inside talking to someone. No, not one. Two people. The voices sounded female. He followed the voices as he slowly made his way down the great hall and to a room that his Mother barely used, as she almost never entertained guests. It was a grand room with lily white walls and luxurious seating.

Sesshomaru peered into the room and saw his Mother there, sitting across from two females he had never seen before. He took a second look and was intrigued by them. The two women were alike in almost every way. They were both tall and curvy figures with long black hair and sharp blue eyes. Their ears were pointed like his and they both bore the mark of a moon on their cheeks. The only difference between them he could tell so far was one of them had a blue kimono and the other wore white. He spied for what seemed like a few minutes before his Mother spoke.

"My darling son, I know you are here. Please make yourself known." She said aloud.

Sesshomaru stood up straight and glided into the room as if he hadn't just been watching all of them from behind the wall. He realized the closer he got to the group of women, that was precisely where the sweet smell was coming from. The two women smelled fantastic. He couldn't believe his nose. Why did they smell this way? Who were they?

"This Sesshomaru arrives when he means to." He said to his Mother, as she stood to greet him. The girls stood as well as nodded to Sesshomaru.

"Girls, this is my son Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, this is Hana and Gina, from the East. They have come to pay me a visit."

"Sesshomaru, it is nice to meet you." Said Hana.

"Your mother is such a kind woman." Said Gina

Even their voices sounded the same. Sesshomaru nodded to them politely.

Sesshomaru wondered why his Mother had called him here while they all sat down. He seated himself next to his Mother and watched the girls that were across from him with curiosity. He already figured out at this point that the girls were both dog demons, although they were definitely very different from himself and his Mother. Surely, they must be different because they were from the East. He had never met many dog demons, but he had never met any with black hair before. The girls were so interesting and they weren't hard on the eyes either. They looked back at him and to each other, smiling at one another.

"Sesshomaru, we've heard so much about you." Hana said.

"Your Mother speaks very highly of you." Gina added.

"A mother would. You have heard of me, yes, but I have not heard of either of you."

"Sesshomaru, you are mistaken. I've told you about the twins before." His Mother said, letting out a half hearted laugh. "You'll have to excuse him."

" _Twins!" Sesshomaru thought, finally realizing who the girls before him were. "These are Monomaru's daughters? They look nothing like him! They don't even smell like him. They couldn't be."_

The girls giggled at Sesshomaru for being so dry. He was not very personable, but they didn't mind that very much. Hana flipped her hair and Gina looked at her claws in a very feminine manner.

"It is nice to once again have the company of other dog demons, it has been centuries. I long for the old days when our kind could get together like this always. It gets so terribly lonely." Sesshomaru's Mother chimed.

"It's pretty vacant in the East as well. We have so few comrades." Gina said somberly. Hana nodded.

"Well I guess it's more important that those of us who remain stick together. Don't you agree, Sesshomaru?" his Mother asked.

Sesshomaru nodded without a word to appease his eccentric Mother. He didn't actually care much for this conversation. The twins looked to him and nodded. He sat mostly silent for a while as the women chattered together. He studied both of the women, judging them by their movements, their smells, their attitude. They were gorgeous creatures, and their scent was overwhelmingly sweet to him. He found it interesting how they seemed to move as one being. Like one was not complete without the other. They finished each other's thoughts often and always smiled at the same time.

"My Lady." One of the guards called from the doorway.

The Mother looked annoyed but looked over to the girls and smiled. "You'll have to excuse me." She addressed everyone before making her exit.

For a couple minutes, Sesshomaru and the twins stared blankly at each other. Then Gina spoke up.

"Sesshomaru, we hear that you are currently in the process of building your own estate."

"This is true."

Gina began to speak to Hana in a language Sesshomaru had never heard before. Hana nodded to her sister and they both turned to him.

"That seems like a huge task. Did your Father not leave his estate to you?" Gina asked.

"There was not much of an estate left to leave. His old castle is nothing but rubble now. Why do you ask?"

"We are just curious." Hana said before turning to her sister and spoke in that same tongue to Gina, which made Sesshomaru tense. He did not like not knowing what the two women before him were speaking about.

"As for us we plan on taking over our Father's estate." Hana chimed in.

"How do you plan to obtain his estate while he is still alive?" Sesshomaru asked.

Hana laughed and pushed her sister, making Gina laugh as they spoke again to each other in the strange language.

"What are you saying to each other that I cannot hear?" Sesshomaru finally confronted them. They hadn't spoken a word of this language until now, so he figured they must be being secretive.

"My apologies, Sesshomaru." Gina said.

"We were saying nothing of importance." Hana added. "We are hoping that once your Mother agrees to have him that she will take him off our hands."

"We have waited too long for something like this to happen." Gina said. "Your Mother likes him so much. We're looking forward to not being responsible for him anymore."

"Being loyal and doting daughters gets old after a few centuries." Hana finished.

They laughed to each other again.

"I don't find this nearly as amusing as you both do. You are happy that your Father seeks out my Mother?"

"Of course. He goes away to be with your mother and we get the estate. Simple." Gina started.

"It's much easier than kicking him out." Hana laughed.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow to the shrude girls in his presence.

"Who is to say my Mother will take him off your hands?"

Both of the girls stopped laughing and they both stood up and slowly made their way to go sit on either side of Sesshomaru. He felt tense as their smells wafted around his nose, making him anxious. He put his hand on his sword as a warning. The girls looked down at his defensive stance and then at each other and giggled to one another.

"Sesshomaru, calm yourself. We merely wish to take in your scent." Gina smiled, her fangs sparkled.

"It's a fine musk." Hana said, inviting herself close to Sesshomaru's neck. "Don't you agree, Gina?"

Gina leaned in closer and smelled deeply, letting out a sound of delight. Sesshomaru closed his eyes as they smelled him, doing his best to control his primal side. The twins were great beauties and their scent was making him forget himself. He opened his eyes and they both sat back.

"If you stand between your Mother and our Father, we will not be happy with you." Gina stated.

"Is that a threat?" Sesshomaru turned to Gina.

"Of course not, Sesshomaru." Gina brushed her hand behind his ear. "I would never dream of harming a rare beast such as you."

"You couldn't harm me either way. You both have some nerve putting your hands on me without my permission." He stated, throwing Gina's hand away from him, his face blank although his heat rising at the girls poking and prodding. "So I would suggest that you stop."

Hana and Gina looked at each other and then to Sesshomaru.

"Do not threaten us, Sesshomaru. We only wish to enjoy your company." Gina started.

"You need to loosen up." Hana ended.

Gina smirked and whipped out her fan and started fanning herself, purposely making sure that her scent made its way into Sesshomaru's direction. He was overstimulated with such a strong aroma, he stood up.

"Dear Sister, I do believe we have made Sesshomaru uncomfortable." Hana turned to Gina, smiling provocatively.

"Is this true, Sesshomaru?" Gina smirked as she licked her fangs.

"This Sesshomaru does not get uncomfortable." He said, finally accepting his arousal at the two females wafting about him. "I just do not have time for this foolish banter."

Gina snapped her fan closed. "Well when you do, you know who to call upon. When our Father's estate is ours, and it **will be very soon.** Sesshomaru, you must visit. I **insist."**

"This Sesshomaru does not need the company of women." He said, successfully hiding his tense disposition. He didn't know to make heads or tails of this situation. His body was calling out to him but his mind was fighting it. He was so intrigued by the twins, yet so angered by their taunting nature.

Sesshomaru started to make his way to the door as his Mother was walking in. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along with him as he walked into the great hallway.

"Sesshomaru!" his Mother growled. "Release me at once."

"Why have you asked me to come here?" He asked sternly, releasing her arm.

His mother stood up straight and looked at her furious son in the eyes. This was not the time to beat around the bush. She brushed her hair back with her claws and sighed.

"I have decided I want to be with Monomaru."

Sesshomaru growled. "So it's true."

She reached out for him and he turned away.

"I thought I asked Monomaru to come to me when you were decided."

"I have not told him yet. I will not risk a fight between you and Monomaru. I wanted to be the one to see you. You are my son. Tell me that means something to you." She said, wrapping her hands around his head and pulling his face down to rub noses with him. He was about to push her off of him in anger, but her very touch made him cease his disposition. He sighed and let his Mother hold him there for a few moments.

"It is your wish, then?"

"It is."

Sesshomaru took a deep breath as his Mother released him. "Do as you please, Mother."

She smiled at Sesshomaru. "Are you going to stay?"

She sensed the fact that he was uncomfortable and knew that it must be the twins.

"I have to leave now." He said, wanting to distance himself from the two time bombs in the next room.

"Very well, my son." His mother said, touching her nose to his before he began to walk out of the castle. "Do come again."

" _I can't stay around this scent any longer." He thought, thinking of the two demon women. "What pompous creatures."_

….

Staring into the wall, Rin wondered how long she had been there. She knew it had to be between three or four days. She was a mess. Her face was still a dark shade of blue and her hair was unkempt and wild. She was still wearing the same kimono she had on days before. She had vowed that she would stay where she was until Akio came to his senses. She laid there for days, not moving an inch. She would have gotten up to go to the bathroom, but she didn't ever have to go because she hadn't had a drink or eaten since the night Akio struck her. Her body felt weak and her stomach cramped. She could barely move even if she wanted to, and her mind was leaving her. She was drifting in and out of consciousness.

The door opened , and just like every day before that, Akio came in. He was exhausted from trying to get Rin to eat or get up or move. He felt an insane amount of guilt as he watched her refuse herself even a morsel of food or interaction.

"Rin, please, you need to eat." He said, putting a tray of food down before sitting next to her. She blinked in response. "And you need to get out of bed and stop this foolishness. I grow very tired of all this. Just get up and come to the table and eat willingly."

Something in his tone made her break. Rin tried to get up but felt an insane amount of pain as her body ached all over from laying so still for so long. She spoke for the first time in days, delirious. "Akio.." She tried to pull herself up. "Help me."

This had been the break he was waiting for. "Rin.." He said as he took her into his arms and held her. She felt a few tears run down her face as he helped her up. "Come."

He helped her to the table and her hands were shaking from malnutrition as she reached out for a cup of water that had been sitting there. She drank it down quickly before putting the cup down and looking at Akio as he sat across from her. "I want out of this room."

Akio thought hard about this. He couldn't have anyone seeing her face like this but also, he was riddled with guilt over keeping her like this. He motioned to the food he brought. "Eat and then I will help you to the bath."

She ate a little bit of the food he had brought her, and was happy that she was finally going to be leaving the room. Rin thought it best she hide her resentment for now so she could bathe and get back to herself before making the next move.

" _What is the next move?" She thought to herself. "I can't stay. Can I? This can't be my life. I need freedom. I need the open road. I am going to leave. But I need to buy some time. I need to act as if everything is okay for a few days and collect everything I need to get out of here."_

She felt bad that she was going to be leaving some people behind but thought it was for the best. Rin stopped eating and Akio reached into one of his chests for something. He threw it over her head. It was a huge cloak. She wore it down the halls to the bath and nobody even gave her a second glance. They made it to the bath. Akio nodded to Rin.

"I will send Ami in. I do hope we can get past all of this, Rin." He said, holding her to him.

"Of course." She said, letting out a smile. She needed to let him think everything was fine.

He planted a kiss on her lips before exiting the room. Rin sighed and rubbed her forehead. She felt better after some water and food got into her system. She slowly undressed and creeped into the bath, nearly passing out from the hot water. She let herself sink in a bit and enjoy the warmth for a couple minutes. She ducked her head under the water and when she rose, Ami was in the room with a fresh set of clothes and a basket full of stuff. She made her way to the edge to speak to Ami.

"It is nice to see you again. I missed you."

"I am relieved to see you as well." Ami said, grabbing some soap from the basket and coming near. Rin took the soap from Ami and smiled to her.

"Just speak to me as I wash. I want to hear your voice." Rin requested.

"Well, I don't know what to say." Ami answered, shrugging. "I hope that you are feeling okay."

"Don't ask me if I'm okay, please. I think we both know I'm not alright." Rin said nonchalantly as she scrubbed herself. "Tell me, Ami, do you want to stay here forever?"

Ami paused for a second. "I will serve my Lord as long as he needs me."

Rin nodded sadly. She wanted so badly to take Ami with her when she left, but knew that Ami would never come. She couldn't even tell Ami about her plan, and knew it would hurt Ami very much if she didn't say good bye. But she couldn't risk Ami telling her husband about it.

"I just feel there is so much more for you, Ami, than being here in this castle."

"Like what? If not here, I would be doing the same thing elsewhere. At least here I know that nothing bad will happen to me."

Rin reached out for Ami and took her by the hand and pulled her closer to the edge of the tub. She let her hands find each side of Ami's face and she pulled her face to her own, letting their foreheads find each other. Ami smiled and put an arm around Rin's shoulder.

"Rin, look at your hair. Let's get it washed." Ami said, picking at strands of Rin's hair. Rin smiled at Ami and nodded, releasing her. She liked when Ami didn't address her formally.

When they were done washing hair, Rin hopped out of the tub and sat down on a nearby bench, dripping with water. Ami reached into the basket and pulled out a few different jars. Rin recognized these jars.

"No way. I'm not painting my face like Lady Mai. It's so ugly." Rin protested.

"Well, my Lord says that I need to cover you up if you are to be seen by other people. We must keep up appearances."

"I think that everyone should see. Let there be rumors. He deserves it after what he did."

Ami remained silent as she took the lids of the jars and began to run a brush through it. Rin sighed and let Ami run the make up over her face, covering the marks but making her skin look pasty and white. She choked back her objections as Ami made everything on her face disappear like it never happened. It had happened though, and Rin wouldn't let herself forget it. Her decision was already made.

…

Rin had spent the past couple of days mostly keeping to herself, and trying to plan out her next move. She felt nervousness creep into her being. She was relieved to have made such a decision, but she was truly afraid of the prospect of going out into the world alone again for the first time since before she met Lord Sesshomaru. She remembered facing hunger, and cruelty from other people. This time she promised herself, would be different.

She paced around the meeting room, looking for a map of some sort. She bit her finger nails as she went through all of the chests that lined the walls, trying to leave them exactly as she found them before. She sighed when she found one, Unfotunately, it would only take her half way to her destination, but she would have to figure it out from there. She had traveled so much before, she had to trust her own instincts.

She folded up the map into a little square and placed it inside of her kimono. She heard the door open and she closed up the chest and turned, sitting upon it. When she saw it was Lord Eito at the door, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Rin, my dear, I haven't seen you in days. You were ill?" Eito asked, moving slowly over to her. She came closer to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Yes. But I feel better now. Come. Sit with me. We will play cards." Rin said.

"No cards. I wish to speak with you, though." Lord Eito said, sitting.

Rin nodded and slowly sat down across from him.

"Rin, my son claims I am too old to be training with you. Do you think this is true?"

She shook her head in anger at Akio. "He does not want me to train anymore. So I must stop. It has nothing to do with you being old."

"Well what does it have to do with, my dear?" Eito inquired.

"It is not my place to question his decisions." Rin said, looking away, making it obvious that she was not going to tell Eito.

"Rin, you are wearing make-up. This is new." Akio laughed. "You look much prettier without it." He began to run his finger down the right side of her face and she smiled at him.

Lord Eito's eyebrows tightened as the white makeup came off onto his hand. He licked his finger and began to wipe the area with his hand. Rin's face dropped although she stayed still, it was almost as if she wanted him to see. She trusted the old man more than anyone else here in the castle. Eito sighed aloud and put his fingers to his forehead. He couldn't believe his own son was capable of doing such a thing. Especially to the Rin he had grown so fond of. Rin rushed to his side, cradling his arm in her hands.

"Please, you must keep this to yourself. For me." Rin whispered to him.

"My son brings shame to me." Eito said, shaking his head. "How am I to stay silent?"

"Because I need you to, please." She said, "Do it for me."

Lord Eito breathed in deeply and looked at Rin before he nodded his head.

"Just this once." He said, taking Rin's hands in his. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Thank you, old man. You will see soon why we must keep our silence."

…..

The night she had planned for came sooner than she expected. Rin was laying down on the futon, watching her husband sleep. He had taken her the night before, and she was ashamed to admit that she had enjoyed it after such a long time of being angry with him. She traced her finger down her face and wondered if she would ever see him again.

" _Am I having second thoughts?" She thought. "Rin, you really are a fool. No backing out now."_

Rin stood up slowly and quietly made her way to a chest in the room. There was a big bag in it and she laid it down by the mirror. She lit a small candle by the mirror and grabbed the brush and started going at her hair roughly, making her hair as straight and tangle free as possible before she braided it into one long strand that reached her waist. She pulled out a long piece of fabric and began to wrap it around her nose and mouth, concealing her face. She stood up and grabbed the cloak that Akio had given her a few days before and threw it over her head, tying it.

She stood up and slowly walked over to Akio, and looked near him for his sword. She found it a couple feet away from him where his clothes were.

"You really shouldn't leave these things just lying around." She whispered before putting it in her belt and standing up straight before she grabbed for her bag. It was heavy but she needed it.

She took one last look at him before opening the door and leaving the room. She walked slowly and silently down the hallway. It was late at night, so there weren't many staff about. Rin made it to the doors that led to the garden and opened them. She let out a deep breath and walked outside, closing the door gently behind her. Looking to the garden, she hurried as she ran through the garden to reach the wall. She felt the wall before she started to climb it, and sat when she reached the top. She threw the bag down and looked at it.

" _You could still go back." Her thoughts taunted her._

"No." She said, leaping down from the wall, rolling on the ground when she landed to avoid breaking anything.

Rin laughed to herself as she laid flat on her back. She was finally outside of the castle. She stood and started to make her way through the silent village, where she saw a young ragged child just milling about. It reminded her of herself at that age. Nowhere to go or be. She slipped through the village until she reached the end.

" _I have to be strong. I have to do this." She thought as she walked away into the distance._

…

Ami hummed a sweet tune as she walked down the hallway to her Lord's room. She was feeling good that everything was getting back to normal, although she was weary of the way Rin had been acting the past few days. She would go off and not tell her where she was going and would bring a lot of food back to the room without eating it. Ami was carrying the morning tea to the room and opened up the door. She looked to the sleeping figure on the futon and figured that Rin must still be sleeping. But when she looked closer she saw that Rin was not there. She shrugged, figuring she must have had to go do something. Ami set down the tray, waking Akio in the process. She poured some tea into a cup for Akio and smiled.

"Good morning, my Lord." She chimed. "Where's Lady Rin this morning?"

Akio grumbled something as he stretched awake and looked to his side and shrugged. "You don't know?"

Ami shook her head and stood upright. "I just got here. Maybe she was up early. I'll look around."

Akio nodded his head in agreement before Ami took off to go find Rin. He looked to his side and felt weird as if something bad had happened. He ignored the feeling as he took a sip of his tea and sighed.

Ami looked through the gardens and in all the rooms of the castle. She started to panic when a thought crossed her mind.

" _All of that food. Disappearing and reappearing at random. The way she hugged me the other night as if she was never going to see me again. Oh, I hope this isn't true. Please don't let this be true. Rin.." She thought, starting to increase her pace._

When she had looked through the castle, she dispersed into the village without a word to anyone.

A few hours later, Akio was in a meeting with a couple people when Ami burst into the room. She gasped when she saw that Akio had company and bowed her head, her cheeks reddening. Akio looked surprised and the men he was with looked at Ami blankly, waiting for her to say something.

"Lord Akio, forgive me for interrupting. There is an urgent matter." She panted, out of breath.

"Very well." Akio said concernedly. "You'll have to excuse me." He excused himself from the room.

Ami turned on her heel and exited the room, Akio following her. He closed the door behind him and approached Ami quickly, wanting to know what could possibly be so important. Ami was red in the face and looked nervous. Akio gently placed his hands on Ami's shoulders and let them droop to her arms.

"What is the matter, Ami?" Akio inquired, his demeanor beginning to match hers.

"It's Rin." Ami said, making Akio's face drop.

"What about her?" He said, his grip tightening on her arms.

"She disappeared, my Lord. I've been looking for her all day and I have not found her." She said nervously.

Akio's eyes widened and he let go of Ami, heading back to his meeting. He opened the door and stood in front of the two men, looking worried.

"I apologize, but we must continue this discussion another time. Ami will show you to the door." He said, motioning them to the door.

He walked back out and approached Ami. "You will show the gentleman to the front doors and then see me in my room."

"Yes, my Lord." Ami said nodding her head before Akio stormed down the hallway.

After Ami had helped the two men find their way out of the castle and profusely apologized about the interruption, she stared at the doors for a minute.

" _Rin, how could you? I know now what you meant when you asked me the other day if I wanted out of here. How could you leave my Master? How could you leave me? "_

Ami quickly made her way to the room and stopped at the door when she heard him slamming around. She let out a deep breath and entered the room quietly, closing the door behind her gently. She stayed close to the door and watched as Akio dumped chests out on the floor, kicked over vases, and flipped open drawers, looking through them frantically. She felt a single tear fall down her cheek as she watched the man she admired angrily trashing his room.

When he noticed her in the room, he stopped and approached her, grabbing her arms and pinning her against the wall. Ami looked up in terror at Akio.

"Did she say anything to you?!" He shouted.

"Please, Master, I swear she didn't say a thing!" She cried at him, becoming frightened.

Akio stopped when he realized what he was doing. He knew for a fact Ami would never hide anything from him. He cursed himself silently for losing his temper. He pulled Ami to him, holding her to his chest.

"Yes, of course. Ami, you must forgive me for scaring you. Lady Rin upset me very much."

Ami wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I know. It pains me to see you like this."

Akio ran his fingers through Ami's hair, enjoying the comfort her closeness brought. He reached down to raise her face to his and slowly brought his lips down to find hers. Ami let herself fall deeply into his kiss before he released her.

"My Lord.." Ami said, wide-eyed, not sure what to do next.

Akio turned his back to her, unsure of how to feel about what he just did. He did feel very much for Ami, but she was his servant and he was married. Even if his wife was missing, he felt that he should not have done what he just did. He straightened himself out and turned back to Ami who was looking bewildered.

"It was nothing." He said, looking around the room at the mess he had created and then back to Ami, who was still staring at him in astonishment. "Don't look at me like that. Clean this up."

He left the room without giving her a chance to speak. Ami stood there for a moment before she slunk down to her knees and started grabbing pieces of a broken vase off the floor. She felt like crying at the amount of ruin in the room. This would take hours. But she couldn't find it in herself to, she was quite taken by the kiss that had taken place.

" _Why did he kiss me? And why did I kiss him back? Oh, Lord Akio. You give me so much pain and yet so much pleasure."_

… _._

Sesshomaru walked slowly through a field of flowers, finally rid of the tantalizing smell of the twins. He sighed and looked up at the moon, and felt his heart grow heavy. He wanted to know if Rin still liked flowers. He picked a single flower from the field and leaned in to smell it. He had never really taken enjoyment in any of the flowers she had picked for him, and he wished he had. He started to replay memories of her, not caring to stop himself this time.

 _Rin looked up at him with her big chestnut eyes, roused from her sleep. Her head was laid across his lap and he ran a finger through her hair and she smiled at him. "Good Morning, my Lord." She whispered._

(Next chapter is going to be intense so stay tuned! Thanks for reading)


	15. Chapter 15: A Place To Be

(Thank you guys so much for the good reviews and all the follows. Sorry this one took longer than usual I was on vaca in cape cod last week and didn't get as much writing done. Also, I think it's the longest chapter yet. Lol You guys are great! xoxo)

Chapter 15: A Place to Be

Rin camped up in a tree for a couple hours, exhausted. She had been traveling for a week now without seeing a single person, which was a good thing. But she was starting to fear that her supply was getting too low, she would need to find water and food soon as she was running low. She took the tiniest sip from her jug and replaced it. Rin took a deep breath and leaned against the tree. She was having a hard time believing she had actually pulled it off. She was certain that she was not being followed at this point. Looking over the map, she tried to see where she could find water, and found that it was only a bit away, but she was nearing the end of the map. From then on, she would have to find her destination herself.

When she was done resting she collected herself and slowly climbed down the tree, the weight of her bag making it difficult not to fall. When she reached the bottom, she let out a pant. She was in nearly as good shape as she was before she married Akio. Sitting around the castle instead of being outside made her sluggish. She cursed her tiredness and wrapped up with her scarf and hood again, concealing her identity. A few hours into her trip, she heard a sound as if a couple pairs of feet were approaching. She took caution to which direction the sounds were coming from. She moved forward, hoping the sounds belonged to people.

The sounds quickened and she found herself walking faster, trying to avoid them. But when she heard the voices of men, she dropped her bag and turned. Out of the bushes came two men. They were rough looking and wore armor and had swords tucked in their belts. One of them a scar above his eye.

"What is this? Who are you? Speak, man!" The bigger one spoke.

Rin stayed silent as she wanted them to continue thinking she was a man, to be more intimidating. She placed her hand on her sword and waited, hoping they would take the hint and go away.

"What have you got in the bag?" The scarred one said, coming closer. Rin unsheathed her sword and pointed it to the men.

"HA! The small man wants a fight." The big one boomed, walking with him.

They both unsheathed their swords, and Rin felt dread running through her. How was she to take on these two men only after a year of training? She didn't want to admit that Akio was right about that, but at that moment she knew that he might have been. She stood her ground and held the sword out to them in defense. The scarred one swung and she blocked his attack with her sword and kicked him away. The big one was midswing as she kicked so she let herself fall to the ground to avoid being hit. She rose as fast as she could and swung at the big one, who backed away and swung back. She blocked and found that the bigger one was much harder. She pushed her sword away with his and the force it took made her lose balance. She fell again to the ground. Only this time, in her fit of panic she swung the sword at the big ones foot, and she cut deep into his foot.

The big one howled and looked at his foot as Rin rose to her feet and backed away. She saw the scarred one coming at her and she swung, hitting his arm. The scarred one swung back and she backed away, but the tip of the sword sliced her chest a little. It was so slight that she didn't feel it, but knew that he had made a cut and it was bleeding. She shouted and ran toward him, digging her sword into his chest before he had time to react. The bigger one called out a name as Rin kicked at the scarred one, and his body fell to the ground. She held up the bloody sword to the big one as he looked at his fallen comrade and then to her.

She backed away as he came at her angrily, swinging in all directions. Rin thought to herself in terror that this man was too big to defeat. She raised her sword to block a swing that was headed for her face and his great power crashed down on her as she held it there, hoping to hold him back. She held her spot with one foot and brought the other crashing down on the foot she had injured. He cried out in pain, letting up on his sword and she quickly jammed hers through his neck, pulling it back and backing away as quickly as she could, holding out the bloody sword. She looked at the two dying men in horror as she ran to grab her bag and ran in the direction she was originally heading.

Rin ran like she had never run before. She felt herself start to hyperventilate as she ran. After a few minutes, she saw the river she was seeking out ahead. When she reached the side of the river, she began to rip the layers of clothing off, choking on her own breath. She jumped into the the river, scrubbing her skin and looking at the minor cut in her chest as it bled into the water.

" _I have killed two people. I can't believe I made it out alive. Look at me. I should close this wound."_

After she got done cleaning up her wound, she used her cloth to wrap her wound and put her clothes back on, not bothering with her cloak or veil. She was feeling tired from her loss of blood. She leaned back on the grass, with her sword in her clutches and let herself close her eyes. She drifted off into a daydream.

 _Rin opened her eyes and Sesshomaru was sitting there next to her. She felt it strange because he wasn't there before, and he didn't say a word, he merely looked to her and then back to the river in front of them. She sat up and looked to the river and then to him, weary that he might not be real. He didn't speak and neither did she. Rin crawled over and traced the marking of his face with her fingers and smiled._

" _You are injured, Rin." He said calmly._

" _I know. But I'll be okay." She said, laying her head on his lap._

 _He began to run his fingers through her hair and they stayed like this._

" _This might be a dream." She said, and he didn't react at all. He just kept stroking her hair._

 _She didn't mind though. This was the first time in a long time she felt at peace._

…

Ami strolled down the hall of the castle with a somber look on her face. For the past week, there had been a bunch of drama and different emotions running about in this place. Akio had told everyone that the Lady of the castle had been kidnapped but she could sense that everyone was a little skeptical. He had sent out his men to go find her, but there had been no luck thus far, making Akio harder to deal with. Of course, she was the one who was with him most of the time, so she saw his highs and lows. He would rage and then when all of his energy was spent he would cry. He both frightened and saddened her very much.

When she got to his room everyday, she had no idea what kind of day she was going to have. She took a deep breath and opened the door to her Lord's room before she let out a shout and turned around with reddened cheeks. Akio was standing there naked when she had come in. He wrapped his sheet around his waist and sighed.

"I'm so sorry, my Lord, I didn't know." She apologized.

"Ami, maybe you should start knocking." He suggested. "You can turn around now."

Ami turned and found herself staring into his chizzled abs. She bowed her head and placed his tea on the table. He watched her as she did this and felt his body call out to him. He made his way behind her as she poured his tea, letting his hips lean against her backside. Ami shot up out of shock and turned around to face him.

"My Lord.." She gasped. "What's the matter?"

"I've seen how you look at me, Ami."

"My Lord, you are mistaken." She said, her legs shaking as he got closer to her.

"I don't think I am. You desire me, don't you?" Akio said, reaching for Ami's neck and tracing his fingers down to her collarbone. Ami let out a small moan as he did this and closed her eyes, nodding.

"Then it is true." He said, brushing her hair back with his fingers. She opened her eyes to meet his and he kissed her on the lips. "If you do not want this, you can say so now. And I will leave you alone."

Ami melted into his warmth and reached up to stroke his long silky hair. "I don't want you to leave me alone."

Akio felt great desire at her words. He lifted her off the ground by her bottom and pinned her body against the wall, bringing their lips together once more. Ami kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Akio and Ami spent what seemed like a couple hours making love against the wall. Ami was in ecstasy that Akio was finally showing his passion for her and he in turn was glad to be worshipped so deeply.

When they were finished, both Ami and Akio were lying on the futon naked. Ami was lying on her stomach, looking at him. Akio was on his side, stroking Ami's back gently as he looked back at her.

"I feel as if I've taken advantage of my sweet girl." Akio confessed.

"No, my Lord, I wanted this." She replied.

"I know.." He said, tracing over a couple scars on her back. "I want to keep doing this."

"I feel bad, though, because of.. well, you know." Ami said, making it obvious she was talking about Rin.

"She's not here, is she?" Akio said, shaking his head. "You and I both know that Lady Rin decided to leave. She is not right, Ami. She needs help. I tried to warn her about the dangers out there, but she would not listen. She has become an enemy to herself. Unless my men find her, she will be killed out there. The demons will surely get a hold of her if the bandits don't. The world is such a dangerous place, Ami. Stay with me, and I will make sure you never have to face it."

Akio was only deepening Ami's insecurities about what laid beyond the village. She already knew very much the evil of the world, and he always did his best to remind her.

"I fear for her." Ami said, looking away.

Akio placed his finger under her chin and leaned in to kiss her. "I fear for her as well."

….

Rin woke up on the side of the river and stretched, feeling a bit drained. Her dreams had left her hopeful, even if her body was struggling to go on. She looked to the side of her and saw a person was sitting next to her. For a moment, she believed her dream had been real before she saw that it was clearly not Sesshomaru. She immediately shot up defensively and held her sword out to them, ready to fight whoever was invading her space.

"Get away from me!" She shouted, her hands shaking as she held the sword. She looked at the person in front of her and she studied their features. It was a male figure, with big green eyes and red hair tied back. They were short for a man, but was about her height.

"Relax, lady. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You look terrible." The man said in a raspy voice, placing both hands up in the air to show that he was not there to fight. He began to rise to his feet.

Rin was skeptical and worked up from the battle of the previous day so she continued to hold up the sword as she studied the person in front of her.

"Who are you, stranger?" She demanded to know, desperately.

"My name is Shippo. Put down your sword, you are not in any danger." The man said, making Rin drop her sword.

"Shippo?" She said in a light voice, not believing the figure who stood before he was the small fox demon that Kagome and Inuyasha had traveled with so many years ago. He looked so different now.

"Yeah that's my name." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

Rin dropped her sword and wrapped her arms around the fox demon, embracing him. The fox demons cheeks turned red. Why was this strange lady hugging him? She let him go and began to speak.

"Shippo! It's been so long. You probably don't recognize me. I sure as hell didn't recognize you. Look how big your tail is now."

"Wait.." Shippo said, looking into Rin's eyes. "Rin? But how? What happened to you?" He was curious about her injuries. The face wounds were fading, although apparent but he could see her wrapped wound under her clothes was fresher due to the smell of fresh blood.

"Too much to say." She said, "It's been a very long time. We're not kids anymore."

"That's true." said Shippo. He had always felt for Rin, because she was an orphan like him. And it was tough seeing her in the state she was. "So I guess you and Lord Sesshomaru parted ways, huh?"

Rin nodded. Shippo sighed and put his hand on her shoulder, looking at her, not any less confused than he was before. "Why are you out here in the middle of nowhere, Rin?"

Rin breathed out and a single tear fell down her cheek. "I don't know anymore. I probably should've just stayed where I was."

Shippo wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Hey, come on. Why don't you come with me? I was headed to go visit Kagome and the others."

Rin wiped her eyes and looked back at Shippo in bewilderment. "You were headed there too? That's so strange. I mean yes. Yes, I would like to travel with you."

They spent the next hour walking alongside each other in the woods, Shippo was talking to her about his life with the other fox demons.

"It's nice to be among my fellow fox demons once again, but I do miss being amongst the people who really shaped me into the person I am now." Shippo said, reffering to Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku.

"Why don't you just move into the village, then? I'm sure you would be welcome." Rin suggested.

"I don't know. I'm hoping I can meet a female back at home and start a litter."

"Have you any girls on your mind?" Rin said, smiling.

"There are a few girls that I like.." Shippo started. "But I can't say I've ever really been super attracted to fox demon women."

"What does that mean?" Rin laughed.

"Well, when I was younger I met a girl and a year ago, I saw her when I was traveling. She remembered me. We've been on an off for a while now. She's a bit of a hothead but that's just the nature of her breed. I can't help liking her."

"I understand what you mean, my husband can be pigheaded." She said, shaking her head.

"You're married?" Shippo looked surprised. "Wow, I know its been a while but I didn't expect that. Where is he now?"

"Where I left him." She said, her face melting into a frown. "I'm sorry, Shippo, that was uncalled for."

"No, it's okay." He said.

"Tell me more of the woman you like." Rin pleaded for him to continue.

"Well, back in the day, her kin and mine were enemies. And they still are, which makes it difficult for us to be together. I would have to leave the other fox demons to be with her, and I don't know if that's what I want."

Rin nodded, listening to him go on about the girl he liked. She thought of how unfair it seemed to be that others had more of a choice with who they were going to be with. She had never really felt like being with Akio was a choice. It was just something she had to do so she could get by and live the human life Sesshomaru wanted her to live.

The next day or so went quickly, Shippo and Rin were becoming great friends. She was relieved to not be alone on her journey, and not have to worry as much about burglars or having to defend herself against demons. But the journey went pretty smoothly, as they didn't run into any trouble along the way. Rin thought it might just be fate that Shippo was heading to the village the same exact time she had been. For if he hadn't come, she might have become lost or been unfortunate and run into more trouble. She thanked her lucky stars that he had found her lying by the river.

When they arrived to the village, they both proceeded to seek out Kagome's home.

Kagome was outside of her home and sitting on the grass. She was holding her hands up in the air, helping a little baby to bounce on their own feet. The baby had black hair, pale skin, and large amber eyes. Atop the childs head, there were two cute little black dog ears. Kagome smiled and laughed as her child bounced and laughed in amusement.

Rin lagged behind as Shippo walked ahead, watching the scene in astonishment. She thought Kagome's child was beautiful, and instantly regretted that she wasn't able to be there for her or Sango when their babies were born.

Kagome looked up and saw Shippo and a huge smile came over her face. She stood up, lifting her child onto her hip and walking briskly toward him.

"Shippo! Oh my, it's so nice for you to come!" She said, kissing him on the cheek. "Meet Azami, my daughter."

Kagome handed her baby over to Shippo and he laughed, holding her up to the sky, making the baby laugh in glee. "She's wonderful, Kagome. I'm so happy for you both." Shippo said. "I apologize for not coming sooner."

"You're a busy man." Kagome said, rubbing Shippo's arm. "But I am relieved that Azami finally gets to meet her big brother."

Shippo smiled at Kagome. She had been like a mother to him ever since his father died and her and Inuyasha found him, and he recognized that. He truly had family here in the village. He caught himself when he realized that Rin was still standing in the distance.

"Oh.. Kagome. I found someone on my way." Shippo said, looking over to Rin. Rin snapped out of it and began to walk forward, with a half smile on her face.

"Hello, Kagome." Rin said.

Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. She ran forward and wrapped her arms around the girl, making Rin hiss from her injuries, although she immediately felt the nice comforting warmth of Kagome's embrace. She embraced the woman back, in a flurry of emotions.

"Rin! What happened to you?" Kagome shouted, looking Rin up and down, checking out her face and her injuries. "You are injured."

"I am fine, Kagome, it is so nice to see you again." Rin smiled.

Kagome still looked concerned although she knew there would be time for explanations later. She went over to Shippo and took Azami out of his arms and carried her over to Rin, holding her out. RIn opened her arms and took the child, looking at her for a couple seconds. Rin thought Azami looked just like Kagome, excepting the ears and eyes. The baby smiled at her and she held Azami close to her, a single tear falling down her cheek. She was so relieved to be here and to finally be with everyone, it was overwhelming.

"Kagome! Who are you talking to?" A voice came from inside the home. Inuyasha strolled out and stopped dead when he saw that both Shippo and Rin were there. He let out a smile when he saw how quickly his kid had taken to Rin.

When they all settled in, the five of them were inside Kagome's home drinking tea and eating some rice and vegetables. Both Inuyasha and Kagome took notice to how rough Rin looked, and how quiet she was compared to Shippo. Inuyasha sat cross legged with Azami on top of him, grabbing at his chopsticks and making a mess.

"Rin, maybe I should take a look at your injuries." Kagome suggested. "After dinner, I can check it out and put some fresh bandages on it."

Rin nodded to her. "That would be wonderful, Kagome. Thank you."

"Where did you obtain those injuries anyways?" Inuyasha asked, not caring to be subtle. "The one on your chest is much newer than the ones on your face."

Kagome slapped Inuyasha on the knee for being forward, and he shrugged in a defensive manner. Rin put down her bowl.

"I fought and killed two men who were trying to rob me in the woods." Rin stated.

Inuyasha and Kagome were a little taken back by her statement. Rin had always been a sweet, innocent little thing that had no reason to fight or kill. Inuyasha looked to the sword at her side and nodded.

"I found her in the woods after that, and we traveled here together." Shippo added.

"I'm surprised you came to visit without company. I mean it's not as if your husband couldn't afford to send you with someone." Inuyasha said carelessly. "Being the Lord of a castle and all, you would think-"

Inuyasha was cut off by Kagome slapping him in the arm. "Inuyasha!" She whispered harshly.

"No, it's okay." Rin said, looking into the floor. "You should all know the truth. I did not come accompanied because I left without saying I was leaving."

Kagome reached out for Rin's hand and nodded. "There is still an extra room at Kaede's if you need somewhere to stay for now. She is very old now, and doesn't do much anymore, so she would appreciate the company."

"You guys are so kind to me." Rin said. "I am not deserving of such great friends."

"Of course you are." Shippo said, rubbing her shoulder.

Azami started to cry aloud and the attention of the room was shifted to her, making Rin sigh in relief.

Later on that day, Rin made her way over to Kaede's home by herself. She rapped on the door and heard a raspy voice telling her to enter. When she let herself in, she saw a very still Kaede sitting down, looking out the window of her home.

"Kaede." Rin said, rushing to her side. "How have you been? I've missed you so."

Kaede smiled and lifted her hand and stroked Rin's face. "Young Rin. My dear. What in the world."

They sat in silence for a moment before Kaede read her body language.

"So you've run away from home, aye?"

"I've never felt at home there." Rin said and then bowed. "Kaede, may I ask that you will let me stay here for just a few days? I'll take care of everything in the house. I just need somewhere to stay until I figure out where I'm going next."

Kaede nodded. "You are always welcome here. But why would you want to leave us so soon after you've come? We've all missed you these past two years and have worried about you. Obviously our fears were justified."

"Thank you, I just don't want to be a burden to anyone here. Everybody has their perfect little lives here and I will only cloud them with my grief. I do not want that."

"Our lives are not perfect, Rin. I have grown so old I can barely make it out of my home without someone helping me. Kagome and Inuyasha fight just as much as when they met. My poor Sango never sleeps because she has too many children to tend to. Nobody has a perfect life, my dear."

Rin smiled at Kaede. "Oh, Kaede, you always know what to say."

Just then, a rap was heard on the door. Rin got up to answer the door. When she answered, she saw Sango standing there, holding the hand of a toddler. She looked shocked to see Rin standing there in front of her.

"Rin." She said surprised, "I did not know you were here."

"I am going to be staying here for a little while. It is nice to see you again."

"You as well." Sango tried to smile at Rin, but saw that Rin was not in a good state. "Oh, this is my youngest son, Huyu."

"Hi." Rin said to the small boy who resembled Miroku greatly. "Last time I saw you you weren't even born yet."

The boy hid behind Sango shyly and Rin moved over for them to enter. Sango slipped in and made her way over to the old woman.

"Kaede." Sango said. "I came by to check up on you but it seems that you have company."

"Dear Sango, I am fine. Do not worry for me so. Besides, now I will have Rin here for a while." Kaede said, patting Sango's hand.

Sango smiled at Kaede and then to Rin. "Good, I am glad."

Kaede had Sango sit and chat for a while and Rin mostly stayed silent. She thought of how much she missed times like these, just chatting with her friends and living simply. She was used to a more refined type of living, but she had never really fully gotten used to having servants and being well off as she was. It just wasn't a kind of life she had ever really pictured herself in, so she found it strange when it had become a reality. But it didn't make her happy at all to have those things. What she really found comfort in was just being around the people she adored.

…..

(( The next day ))

Shippo was walking alongside Inuyasha in the woods, with Miroku not too far behind. They were on their way to a job in a nearby village. Inuyasha turned back to Miroku.

"So have you seen Rin yet?" Inuyasha asked Miroku.

"No, I haven't but Sango saw her. She said she looked terrible."

"Yeah I feel bad, she got attacked on her way to the village. What I don't understand is why she would be here. I'm sure her life in the castle is more than comfortable." Inuyasha said in a know-it-all way.

"Who's to say?" said Miroku. "There must be a good reason."

"Inuyasha, you astound me, sometimes." Shippo said. "Isn't it obvious what's going on?"

"No." Inuyasha said, putting his nose up in the air.

"I'll give you a clue. The injuries on her face couldn't possibly have happened in her brush with the robbers. They are too faded. They must have happened weeks ago."

Inuyasha thought about it for a second and then raised his eyebrow. "I guess I never thought of that."

"You are suggesting that maybe her husband had something to do with them?" Miroku said, placing his staff over his shoulder.

The guys all just looked at each other and Miroku sighed and shook his head.

"Well, she's here now and she's going to be helping out with Azami while Kagome helps the villagers. Kagome has completely taken over her work now and is a lot busier." Inuyasha said.

"It'll be good to have her around to watch after Kaede too. She's getting worse by the day. I'm afraid we don't have too much longer with her." Miroku added.

…

A couple weeks passed by in the blink of an eye and Rin had settled in rather well with everyone. He face had returned to it's former beauty. She even seemed a little happier than she was when she first showed up, but there was a certain gloom about her that lingered. She was depressed and nobody dared to ask why. They were just glad that she was there and that they had an extra pair of helping hands around. Rin would watch the kids and clean and cook for Kaede. Shippo had decided to stick around for a while as well and often helped Rin with her work.

"Rin, are you still planning on leaving the village?" Shippo inquired, starting a small fire outside of Kaede's home.

"I really don't know. I just feel needed right now. So I will stay as long as I am needed." She answered. Little Azami was sitting contently on Rin's hip as Rin put an arm around her and bounced her a bit to keep her entertained.

"Azami has taken a real liking to you." Shippo noted as he stood and walked over to the two, patting Azami on the head. The baby squealed and began to fuss so Rin put her down to crawl around. "Do you want to have your own kids someday?" He asked.

"Well, someday, yes. But who's to say what will happen?" Rin let out a half smile as she watched Azami crawl through the grass and pull weeds out of the ground. "What about you?"

"Of course." Shippo said. "I will be as great a father as mine was."

Rin tried to think of her father but couldn't really remember him. All she could think of was Jaken scolding her and chasing her around. She smiled lightly, thinking of how carefree she had been. She scooped up Azami off the ground to stop her from eating a bug that she found.

"I want to go for a walk." Rin said to Shippo. "Will you make lunch for Kaede today? I will take Azami with me."

"Go ahead." Shippo nodded to Rin. "Just don't be too long."

Shippo watched as Rin walked into the woods with the child in her arms and disappeared.

((Meanwhile))

Sesshomaru bent down and placed his hand in the river before him. He felt nothing as he reached in and grabbed a fish clear out of the water. He studied it as it flopped around in his grasp, fighting to the end to survive. He was impressed at the fishes ability to grasp onto life so dearly when it clearly had no chance against him. He released it back into the water and watched as the fish scurried away. He had had no reason for doing what he just did. The demon Lord had become rather bored and left camp often just to study and look at things, something he rarely took an interest in before.

He sighed to himself and stood up. A single flower broke off form a tree above him and sailed daintily along the wind, never falling to the ground. It just kept moving forward. It was almost becknong him to follow.

"Hn." Sesshomaru curiously went forward, following the airborne flower into the woods. The more time passed where the flower didn't hit the ground, the more he became interested in it.

" _Why does this flower refuse to land? Why does it not settle?" He thought as he followed it._

After a half hour of following the flower, he began to hear human noises. He heard a woman humming in the distance. He noted that he was close to a village, and it might be a village woman just harvesting wood for her fire. He tried to walk away from the sound, but there was a familiarity that he could not shake in this voice. Sesshomaru followed the voice as it became louder. He lifted his hand to pull down a branch that was concealing the identity of the woman who's sweet humming caused him curiosity.

He saw the long black and wavy hair of a woman and a baby on her hip. He listened to the woman hum and hand the child flower after flower as the child crushed each and every one that they were handed, laughing everytime.

"Azami, you take so much joy in destroying things. I will credit that to your father's side of the family." She said aloud, laughing at the child.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened when he heard her voice. It was Rin before him. She turned around and he saw her face, just as pretty as when he saw her back in her garden. But this wasn't her garden. He noted that he was closer to Kaede's village. The village he had left her at was a far travel from here.

" _What is Rin doing here? And who is that that she is carrying?"_

Rin wiped some of the dirt off of Azami's face with the end of her kimono and bounced the little child on her hip as she turned to start exiting the woods. She heard a sound like the crunching of leaves nearby. She turned and shouted.

"Who's that? Leave us alone! I am armed and I will not hesitate to fight." She warned, being weary of what lurked here.

Sesshomaru walked out from behind a tree and looked at Rin, not saying anything. She turned and saw him and her mouth opened a bit, in surprise. Rin stayed perfectly still, astonished to see him for the first time in person for such a long time. She looked into his eyes and rocked Azami back and forth, waiting for him to speak first.

"Rin.." Was all he could say initially.

"Sesshomaru." She said, not addressing him formally on purpose. "What brings you here?"

"I should be asking the same thing." He said, wondering why she was there in front of him right now as he advanced toward her and the child. Rin studied him as he came closer, knowing he was no threat, but at the same time, she felt uneasy.

"Are you with my half demon brother and his wench?" He asked her.

"I am in the village, yes." She answered, holding Azami close to her chest.

"Why have you left the castle?" He asked curiously, now no more than a foot away from Rin.

"That is none of your concern, Sesshomaru." She answered back, making him flinch.

Rin was the only creature who could dare to speak to him this way and get away with it. She knew this now and did not have a single doubt of the demon Lord before her. Rin and Sesshomaru were locking eyes, almost as if their pupils were doing all the talking because they were so silent. She missed him and he missed her, but neither of them would say it. Especially not him.

"I was just curious as to why you are here when you could be home where I last saw you."

"So that was you.." Rin said, nodding her head and smiling. "Again, it is none of your concern. If you must know, though, I am here to help my friends. Kaede is very old now and needs assistance. "

Azami became suddenly restless and grabbed at Rin ferociously. Her little claws making Rin hiss, she turned her around to face outwards and bounced her until she stopped. Sesshomaru looked down at the baby girl and back up at Rin.

"What is this?" He asked, motioning to the small child.

Rin let out a sigh at his rudeness. "This is a baby, Sesshomaru. Her name is Azami. Why am I not surprised you haven't met her before? You can be so prideful." She insulted.

When Sesshomaru looked closer at the child, he recognized the ears atop the head and the small claws. "This is.."

Rin cut him off. "Yes, Sesshomaru. This is your brother's child. Your niece. Your kin."

"I would not consider a human my kin." He said in a pompous manner.

"Do not say such things about her, Sesshomaru. You are better than that." She scolded.

Sesshomaru came closer to Rin and cupped her chin in his hand, making her face him. "Rin, do not speak to me as if I am some commoner."

"Please, you know you will not stop me. It is not my intention to offend you. I merely wish this was not an interrogation. Are you even pleased to see me?"

"Rin, do not ask me such silly questions." He said, letting his fingers find her face and gently dragged his claw down her cheek.

Rin let out a small smile to him. He was never going to speak his feelings, was he? But at least she knew what he meant by it. She knew he still cared very much for her.

"I am pleased to see you as well." She said, before Azami bit down on her arm, leaving a small bite mark on her forearm. Rin shouted from the pain, making Azami cry aloud, and instinctively handed her over to Sesshomaru so she could look at her arm. It wasn't bad, but the little girl's fangs were like little needles and really hurt. The baby screamed and cried as Sesshomaru held the baby under the armpits with his hands and let her legs dangle. He looked at the baby with a straight face as she cried hysterically.

"Be silent." He said to Azami. The baby stopped immediately and looked at him in astonishment. Rin, who was rubbing her arm, couldn't help but smirk at the scene. The baby listened to Sesshomaru better than she listened to anyone else. Azami smiled widely at Sesshomaru, but he kept a straight face as she grabbed for him. At this, he had a strange feeling arise as he locked eyes with the baby. He had felt something similar when he had first seen Rin many years ago.

"You know, I thought she was too young to understand such things, but she responds to you very well. It would seem the great dog demon has a way with children." Rin said, noticing his uncomfortable stance. She took Azami off of his hands and smiled at him weakly. "You know, I must have her back soon. But I want to see more of you before you disappear for another year and a half. Might you come back to the village with me?"

Sesshomaru thought for a minute and shook his head. "I will not go to the village."

Rin sighed and turned to walk away from him, tired with his attitude. She felt his hand gently grab her arm and turn her back around to face him.

"I will be by the river tonight." He said.

Rin nodded her head and started to walk away in the opposite direction. Little Azami noticed that Rin was taking her away from this newcomer. She saw him watched them as they left and began to reach out for him and cry aloud. She was clearly very intrigued by the man in the regal white clothing. Rin shook her head and held Ami closer to her as she cried.

"Azami, you should not want your Uncle's attention. He will not give it." She chided the small baby as she carried her away.

…..

Ami woke up in the morning, feeling sore from the previous night. She looked to the ceiling for a little while and gently stroked the large manly arm that was draped over her body. Ami had been staying with Akio for a couple weeks now in his room at his request. They got physical two times a day on most days, and it made her so happy that he was finally paying her the kind of attention she had wanted from him for a long time now. But there was a certain sadness that lingered in the sheets. These were not the terms she wanted him under. She felt so romantic for him but knew it would never be the kind of romance she wanted. She brushed his face gently with her hand and he slowly opened his eyes. He grunted something while stretching his legs.

"Why do you rouse me? Surely, it is not morning yet." He complained.

"But it is, my Lord." Ami said, placing her hand on his barrel chest, enjoying his manly physique. He managed to let out a small smile.

"My Ami is so eager to have me." He flattered himself.

"Always." She agreed.

"This is good. But now I am too tired. Where is that girl with the tea? She's been late the past two mornings." He complained.

"Perhaps I can just start making it again." Ami suggested. "Kai is still young and frivolous."

"No, none of that. You are my mistress, Ami. You will not have to make tea or clean anymore."

"And I am grateful. But I still wish to serve you."

Akio wrapped his arms around Ami's tiny body and pulled her in to him. "You are serving me. Just stay close and love me when I call for it." He bit her ear, making her wince.

They both got up from the sheets and began to dress. Ami ran her fingers through her hair, checking herself in the mirror real quick before Akio sat down. Ami grabbed the brush off the table and began to run it through his long locks, smiling at him. When she was done, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. He enjoyed her warmth and affection, something he hadn't gotten from Rin in a while.

The door creaked and the same little girl that took over for Ami before was there at the door with a pot of tea. She briskly made her way over and poured some tea, Akio watched her as she did this. Ami stood away, not wanting to pay attention.

"Kai, come here." Akio ordered. The young girl came over and bowed.

"What do you do in the mornings, Kai?" He asked, making the girl nervous.

"My Lord, I am sorry if I've been late." The girl answered.

Ami stayed out of it, but felt bad as she had been there when she was about 12, like Kai. Just trying hard to find the line between being a child and a servant, as messing up was bound to happen.

"That was not my question, Kai. What do you do in the mornings?" He said, stroking Kai's cheek gently.

"I make tea and bring it here." She said quickly, wanting this conversation to be over. She closed her eyes and kept her head low.

"If that is all you do in the mornings, I see no reason why you should be late." He said, sipping from his cup and laying it down.

"Yes, my Lord." Kai nodded her head. "I will be timely from now on."

He patted the girl's head and leaned back.

"Good girl. But if it happens again, you will be punished." He said, taking a sip from his tea. The girl bowed low and stood back up.

"Thank you, My Lord." She said before exiting the room.

Something about the whole scene irked Ami, although she was no stranger to this kind of thing. She did not like it when he threatened the young girl like that, but she did not say it aloud. Ami silently picked up Akio's hair tie and pulled his hair back for him. He took her hand in his and rubbed his face in it and when he opened his eyes, he saw a little piece of paper sticking out from under a chest in the room.

He stood up and made his way over to lift the chest, and when he did, it revealed a note. He recognized the note as the one that had been sent to Rin so long ago. He picked it up and slowly unfolded it, reading the words inside of it, nodding his head as his eyebrows tightened. He flicked the paper with his finger and shouted. "Got it!"

"What is it, my Lord?"

"I might be able to locate her."

"Lady Rin?" Ami asked, not happy about this.

"Yes, that is **if** she made it there." He said gravely, holding the paper. He knew that she was most likely fine, but didn't want to get ahead of himself. "Her allies names are on here. All I need to do is have my men track them down and see if they've seen her. When her location is confirmed I will go there myself to bring her back."

Ami shook her head at Akio. How could he be so foolish as to believe that Rin would willingly come back here after going through all of the trouble of running away? Maybe he wasn't expecting her to be willing. She felt her heart ache. She didn't want Rin to have to return. For Rin and for herself. Rin did not deserve to be forced into a life she didn't want. And then there was Ami's concern that if Rin returned, this would change things between her and Akio. She was becoming angry with him for wanting Rin so badly, as she selfishly wanted him for herself.

"What will happen with me if she does return?" Ami asked him, looking into his eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek reassuringly.

"You think I will discard you so easily? Have you no faith in me?" Akio asked.

"No, I do." She said, letting out a half smile and wrapping her arms around his waist.

" _I hope you never find her." Ami thought. "Rin, I hope you are content wherever you are."_

…

"What do you mean she met him?" Inuyasha asked in his usual attitude-ridden voice. "How?"

"I took her or a walk and there he was, just in the middle of nowhere. She liked him very much." Rin answered.

Azami was bouncing on Inuyasha's lap as Rin sat across from him, enjoying a cup of tea. Miroku sat on the other side, silently listening to the conversation. Rin found she could not keep her encounter with Sesshomaru to herself. Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief and looked at Azami.

"Why would she like him of all people?" He asked.

"Maybe she has a good instinct, and knows that he is family." Miroku suggested.

"Yeah, and maybe she had a bad instinct and has no clue what a pompous jerk he is." Inuyasha retorted.

"Don't say such things." Rin scolded. "Besides, I'm meeting him tonight." She slid a hand down her long hair.

This got an eyebrow raise from both Inuyasha and Miroku. They both looked to her and she looked to them.

"What?" She asked defensively.

"It's just I didn't imagine of any of us that you would ever want to speak to him again. After what he did and all." Inuyasha said.

"Let's give her a little credit. She's clearly forgiven him." Miroku argued.

"I have." She said, nodding her head. "But also, it would be nice to get some closure."

"Closure, huh? Is that what they call it now?" Inuyasha teased.

Rin stood up with red cheeks and stormed out of Kagome's home, leaving Inuyasha, Azami, and Miroku behind without another word. Miroku let his staff come down onto Inuyasha's head.

"What was that for?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"You know how fond Rin still is of your brother, Inuyasha. It is not nice to tease her about such things."

Inuyasha rubbed his head and huffed. "Yeah, yeah. The ongoing saga of Rin and Sesshomaru. I think it's all a little weird. It's not like he's going to actually mate with her or anything. That would be going against everything he's ever believed in or at least professed to believe in."

"You never know." Miroku said. "I just hope she is making the right decisions and not meeting up with him for the wrong reasons."

((Later that night))

Rin scrubbed her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't stand the person who looked back at her. The red rings under her eyes shone and her skin was much paler than it had been months ago. All the drama back at home and the traveling, and also the battle with the two thieves had really done a job in her appearance. Rin thought she looked tired and worn out.. and used. She wiped her face down and put a little rouge on her lips, hoping it would distract from everything else.

Kaede was watching her from across the room silently for a while. Rin began to braid her hair and then the old woman spoke.

"You really do love him, don't you?" She asked, looking at Rin.

Rin stopped and looked at Kaede before returning to picking at herself and making sure she looked nice.

"Don't be silly, Kaede. Why should I love him?" She lied through her teeth.

"I know what I see. It is not platonic, at least in your eyes."

"Oh, Kaede, you read me like a book. I cannot help loving him. But he would never. Why would he want me? A human, and an impure one at that."

Kaede sighed. "Rin, you are too young to be in such poor spirits."

Rin nodded and finished, checking herself over. She picked up her sword, considering taking it, but then placed it down. She would not need it this night.

"I'm sorry, Kaede. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No, my dear, be safe."

Rin placed a kiss on Kaede's cheek before she stood up straight and started towards the door, grabbing a lit candle on her way. She looked back before leaving the door. She felt a strange warmness about the night air as she traveled across the bridge and looked to either side, looking for any signs of Sesshomaru. She saw way down the river, there was a white figure sitting. Rin started to follow the edge of the river, coming closer and closer. She felt her stomach tighten the closer she got to Sesshomaru. He looked so beautiful there, with all of his guard down and his skin glimmering in the moonlight.

When Rin finally approached him, he looked to her and then back to the river. He noticed the rouge on her lips and the nice neat braid she had her hair in. He could see her reflection in the river, and she looked wonderful. He thought giving her away would clear any irrational thoughts he may have for her, but seeing her now he knew that was a mistake. If anything, his separation from her had only made him grow more attracted to her. His body called out to him as he watched her in the reflection sitting down beside him. He closed his eyes.

"Thank you for waiting for me." Rin said, not knowing what else to say.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and looked at her, his amber eyes as cold as ever. He nodded and returned to looking away. He was not happy with her refusal to speak to him about her business here, so he had no words to say.

"There is ice to break between us, I do not want to walk away angry this time." Rin said. "The night you left me in that village bothers me still."

Sesshomaru thought of the big fight they had before he left. He thought of the way he had scared her and the scream that had been pulled from her lips and felt his chest ache.

"It was not my intention to scare you." He said, looking to his other side. "But it is in my very nature to be feared."

"I realize this." Rin answered. "But you didn't do anything. I am sorry I doubted for even a minute that you would ever harm me. I know you wouldn't."

Sesshomaru felt the strong feeling in his chest grow the more she spoke. He tried to change the conversation.

"When do you return to your village?"

Rin was caught off guard by his question. She tapped her face with her fingers and shrugged. "I don't know."

Sesshomaru knew Rin and her ways, even now he could see that she was holding back. He looked at redness under her eyes and her pale skin and knew that all was not well. But she refused to speak of it. Rin was not going to open up about what happened at the village. She could not bring herself to let him know what had happened that caused her to leave. There were so many people that she liked and cared about at the village that she couldn't risk Sesshomaru going there. Even after what Akio did, she still did not want him to be harmed. Sesshomaru was no longer her guardian, and she was going to keep it that way.

"Enough about me. What have you been doing? How is Jaken?"

"He is overseeing the construction of my new estate. I intend to take my rightful place in the Western Lands."

Rin nodded. "Well that is impressive. I am glad for you." She thought of what big things lie ahead for the demon Lord. And yet he was here, speaking with her. A human that wouldn't even last a smidge of his reign. He cared for her for reasons beyond her. Maybe she would never understand it. She moved closer to him, and he felt her heat radiating off of her. His mind went blank. They both sat there, not making any movements although they both knew they were feeling desire for one another. Rin pulled the sleeve of her kimono down, exposing the small scar where the thieves' blade had cut her. Sesshomaru looked at it, and became upset.

"How did that happen?" He asked.

"I was attacked by two thieves on my way to the village." Rin answered, wanting to share this story with him. "They wanted to kill and rob me."

"They did not, though. Why is that?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I killed them." Rin said, looking into his eyes.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. Rin killed? The sweet little girl who smiled and picked flowers and had not a care in the world? Not her. She had not only killed, she killed two people at once. Sesshomaru was impressed and shocked at this. He had always hoped that Rin would never have to defend herself like that. But now that it was done, he was glad she had been able to protect herself against harm. This made her even more attractive to him. He saw her exposed shoulder and the scar. It was a white color and faint. His desire increased tenfold at the sight of her exposed like this.

Sesshomaru leaned in without another word and began to place his lips on the scar. He shocked himself with his boldness. Rin leaned back and let out a small moan, running her fingers through his hair as he made his way up to smell her neck. She smelled wonderful. His primal side was taking over quickly. Without another word, he started to untie Rin's kimono as he kissed her neck gently. She helped him take it off and grasped his face and pulled his lips to hers, kissing him harshly. She made her way on top of him and continued to kiss him with every bit of her being. He laid back and allowed her to kiss him, feeling almost powerless as her body laid upon his, making him surrender.

After a minute of this, he flipped her off of him and pinned her to the ground, letting his lips find her stomach. He kissed her arms and chest, making her moan with pleasure. She pulled his face to hers, looking into his eyes.

"I want you, Sesshomaru." Her chestnut eyes bore into his soul and for a minute or two, he felt as if this moment could never end. But then he felt one of her hands making its way onto his chest and down. Lower her hand traveled and the lower it got, the more anxious Sesshomaru felt. When she finally reached what she was looking for, Sesshomaru jumped up and looked at Rin from above. In that moment, she looked just like Izayoi, which frightened the demon Lord more than he would ever admit to.

" _Sesshomaru, you fool, you've let yourself go with a human." He chided himself. "You should not be acting this way with her."_

"Sesshomaru?" Rin called from the ground, lifting her upper body with her arms and looking at him inquisitively. Her naked body glowed in the moonlight.

"This is not right. This Sesshomaru has acted carelessly." He said.

Rin rose to her feet and placed her hands on his face. "I liked it."

"Rin, I have to go before a grave mistake is made." He said with tortured eyes. He wanted nothing more than to take Rin right here and now, but his mind was telling him to get out of there.

"A mistake?" Rin felt her heart break at these words. "I'm a mistake to you." She shook her head, becoming very angry with Sesshomaru.

She stomped over to her kimono and threw it back on, tying it messily in her mix of emotions. She felt herself lose herself as she did that night so many years ago. She turned around to face him.

"I've loved you so much and for so long, Sesshomaru. And you.. You will not return my affections.. never!" She yelled at him as he stood there, letting her words hit him. He had nothing to say in his defense. He looked at the river and felt his chest beat him up all over again.

"Our union would only bring us misfortune. Besides, you belong to another."

"Do not speak of him! I do not love him, I love you! Even after all this time. Just please, let this happen. We could make it work."

Sesshomaru couldn't take another minute of Rin's painful voice. If he stayed he would surely take her and never let her go ever again. "I cannot."

Rin slumped for a minute, her feelings were shot. She was so upset, she felt like she could die. They had been so close. She stood up straight and looked him in the eye.

"I curse the day you used the Tenseiga and brought me back to life. You should have left me dead."

Sesshomaru got a look that she had never seen on his face ever before. He looked genuinely upset at her words. He took a step back and his body transformed into his great dog form before he took off, not saying another word. Rin stood there and breathed heavily. She had meant for this meeting to be peaceful and it went just the opposite way. She couldn't believe how close they had gotten.

" _He must have wanted it as much as I did. Otherwise he would not have done what he did. I just hope he realizes this is right before it's too late. Sesshomaru, I wish I could wait for you forever. But I can't.."_


	16. C16: Guilty Pleasures

Chapter 16: Guilty Pleasures

The great dog demon traveled furiously in the sky, at lightning speed. He had been up there for a day at least but it felt like seconds in his perspective. His demon form was frightening most of the people that saw him from below. The clouds blackened in the sky as he traveled. The pain in his chest felt like he had been stabbed. He could not believe how much pain a human girl could cause him. She had said the worst thing she could possibly have said to him, and it haunted him.

" _I curse you used the Tenseiga and brought me back to life." The words haunted him. "You should have just left me dead."_

He let out a roar, and all the clouds in his path became black and multiplied. Thunder crashed. Not only was his chest killing him, his groin was calling out to him greatly from his brush with Rin. He thought of her body and how it glowed in the moonlight. He had let his passions run away with him, and he couldn't calm himself down. They had been so close to making love, it was painful for him to have to retreat like that.

Sesshomaru was starting to become tired, and looked below him. He did not recognize the lands beneath him, and he wondered how far he had actually traveled in his fit of rage. He continued to travel forward. His presence was disturbing the air and upsetting a lot of the demons in the area, he could hear them screeching and racing towards him. When a couple small demons found him he opened his mouth and bit down on every single one of them with his huge canine jaws, devouring them after. It rained blood on the grounds below.

He moved forward for a few miles and soon smelled something familiar. The wind around him blew furiously and he stopped in his tracks. He saw two large figures traveling through the sky coming towards him, and he prepared himself for this encounter. He growled as they got closer. The figures finally got closer and he got a better look at them.

The two large figures were dog demons. They were both only slightly smaller than him and they were both a dark raven black with the mark of the moon on their faces. They stopped in front of him and growled, letting him know this was their territory. He growled back and snapped at them. They snapped back at him in defense, getting closer. But when they got closer, they looked to each other and backed away, then began to barrel towards the ground below.

Sesshomaru, without thinking, began to follow them down towards the ground. When they all landed on the ground he saw a large building that was a dark grey and gloomy looking place. He looked to the two demons and growled furiously at them. They looked to each other and then there was a flash of smoke, and they transformed.

Standing in front of him was none other than Hana and Gina. They looked at the large male in front of them and smirked.

"You dare to attack us at our home, Sesshomaru?" Gina inquired.

"You really are quite a bad boy, aren't you?" Hana added.

Sesshomaru had already realized who they were before they transformed, he was merely surprised at himself that he had made it all this way without even realizing it. He let himself transform into his other form and Hana and Gina came closer to him. Their smells wafting into his nose, both calming and stimulating him.

"So lovely for you to come visit." Gina said mockingly.

"I have not come to visit." Sesshomaru said coldly. "I simply happened by ahead when you rudely interrupted me."

"Oh, well I'm glad we did." Hana said. "You will just have to stay for a little while."

"What were you doing out all this way anyways?"

"That is none of your concern." Sesshomaru answered, turning to leave.

"You are a long way from your home." Gina said, appearing a couple feet in front of him. "You poor baby, you look like you haven't rested in ages."

He felt Hana's hand make it way up his back. "Stay, Sesshomaru." She whispered. He turned to push her away but she was already gone and had joined her sister's side. Sesshomaru glared at them for a moment, as they smiled menacingly at him.

"I do not know why you are out all of this way, but I do know there is a pain you carry with you. Let us help you." Gina insisted, moving closer to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru's body was worn and exhausted from the intense journey he had made, and he knew that the twins could sense that.

"Have it your way." He sighed.

He watched as Hana made her way to the large black door that led to the dreary looking building. She looked at him and entered, leaving the door open for him to enter if he wished. Sesshomaru watched as her long black hair swayed back and forth. His feet began to follow her into the dark building. Gina was the last to enter, turning around and closing the door behind her with a huge smirk on her face.

They all walked down the hall and Sesshomaru took notice to the gothic décor of this place. He saw a large skull on display in the hallway and thought it looked like a cat demon skull. He stopped in his tracks to look at it. Hana and Gina stood to either side of him.

"I see you've found our trophy." Gina said.

"He put up a good fight." Hana nodded.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said, trying not to sound impressed. It did not surprise him that the twins were such a powerful force. They were only a little smaller than him, so he could imagine taking on the both of them at once would be difficult for even him.

The place was dusty and dark, but he was not concerned about it at all. The place reeked of Hana and Gina. He wondered to himself why he had allowed the twins to convince him into their place. Hana moved forward and he followed.

"We are happy you have decided to accept our hospitality." Gina said, walking beside Sesshomaru.

"It's been quiet around here as of late. With Father gone, we only have each other for company." Hana added.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Sesshomaru asked, his nose up the air.

Hana giggled and turned to him when they reached a room with black and purple tapestries everywhere. There was an extremely large bed in it.

"We know how tired you must be from your journey, Sesshomaru. Please, make yourself comfortable. You can come and join us after you rest." Gina said.

"I suppose I should be grateful for your hospitality." He said, as he never ever said thank you ever in his lifetime and never really intended to.

The girls giggled at his remark as he tiredly made his way into the room.

"You need not be. We are just happy to have such a noble and handsome creature as our guest." Hana flirted from the doorway, getting a smirk from Gina.

"Rest well, Sesshomaru." Gina nodded politely and closed the door to give him some privacy.

Sesshomaru shook his head and looked at some of the artwork that lined the walls. There was a large painting above the bed that caught his attention. The subject of the painting was a nude woman sitting down on a throne. She had a harsh yet attractive face, with a mischievous smile and her long black hair was covering her breasts. One her face she bore the mark of a moon on her cheek. In her hand she held a long spear. On the blade of the spear, there was the dismembered head of a terrified human man.

"How macabre." He said aloud. He continued to look and admire the beauty of the woman in the painting. Sesshomaru thought that the woman must be the mother of Hana and Gina, as she looked very much like them.

" _How a creature as ugly as Monomaru was able to mate with women like that is beyond my comprehension." Sesshomaru thought. "He must have been a great warrior in his time."_

Sesshomaru wondered for a minute how she had died. He removed his armor and let it hit the floor and laid down on his back, closing his eyes. He couldn't remove the woman's mischievous smile out of his mind as he drifted off into a deep sleep.

" _How have I allowed myself to come here?"_

…..

"Again! Again!" The little boy shouted before being tossed into the sky. He went up very high and came barreling down where two arms caught him. "Again!"

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." Shippo said to Huyu, letting him down onto the ground. The toddler made a funny face at him and teetered over to Rin who was standing there, jumping on her.

"Rin! Up! Up!" Huyu demanded, wanting to be carried.

"Yes, your majesty." Rin sighed, picking up the small boy. He was no longer shy with her, but she kind of wished he was. He was a lot harder to care for than Azami sometimes because he was very demanding and had a lot of energy.

"I don't know how Sango keeps up with all of them." Shippo remarked. "We only have one of them and it's a task."

"At least this one doesn't have razor sharp fangs. I swear I thought she was trying to bite my arm off the other day. Azami may be less than half demon but it shows. Those genes are strong."

"So how did your meeting go with Sesshomaru the other night?" Shippo asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Rin said. "All I'm going to say is I don't think he'll be coming around here anytime soon."

Shippo shook his head. Nothing seemed to be going right for poor Rin. "So I think I'm going to be going soon." He said.

"Where?" Rin said, surprised.

"I'm going to go see that girl I told you about." Shippo answered. "I've been thinking about her a lot lately. I think we can work it out, whether or not our friends and allies agree with us being together."

"I'm glad to hear this. You do not let other people dictate who you are going to be with. An admirable quality." Rin was thinking of Sesshomaru and how much braver Shippo was to follow his heart.

Rin placed Huyu on the ground. "Huyu, why don't you go inside and wake Kaede?" She smiled at the little boy as he took off like a shot into Kaede's home.

"She's been sleeping all day again, huh?" Shippo said.

"Yes, but that is what old people do." Rin answered. "I do miss her energy."

Shippo stretched out as Rin sighed. Huyu came slowly out of the house and up to Rin and Shippo.

"Kaede not wake up." The toddler said to the two confused adults in front of him.

Rin looked at the little boy and shook her head. "Play with Shippo, I will wake her."

Rin walked inside the house and felt a sense of dread when she heard absolute silence. She slowed down when she made it to Kaede's room and inched around the corner, looking over to the old woman's futon. Shippo walked behind her, with Huyu in his arms. She motioned for them to be still by the door. Rin walked slowly over to Kaede and kneeled by her gently. She felt her forehead and it was cold.

"Kaede." Rin called nervously. "You've been asleep too long. You must wake up."

When she didn't answer, Rin slowly reached for her neck and felt for her pulse. Rin closed her eyes and prayed that she would feel one. She sat there like that for a minute before she realized that it would never come. Her whole body slumped.

"Shippo, get Huyu out of here please." Rin said shakily. "And get Miroku.. and Kagome."

When Shippo realized what was going on, his face fell. "Yes.. I understand."

When Shippo and Huyu were gone, Rin began to lift the sheet that covered Kaede over her face, feeling tears fall down her cheeks. She placed her face in her hands and began to sob quietly to herself.

((Later that evening.))

Almost everyone in the village was gathered around, paying respects to the person who had been their guardian and elder for such a long time. It was a very somber occasion, there was very little talking. Both Kagome and Inuyasha looked like they had been injured. After all, Kaede was the person that had originally sent them off onto their journey together. She had meant a lot to the couple. Sango and Miroku were there with all their children, some of them were crying aloud.

Rin was watching everybody from a distance. Her face was stoic and unhappy. She felt as if devastation was her course in life. She thought of past times she had spent with the old priestess. That's when she saw someone in the crowd that she recognized, but not from the village. She stared at this person trying to figure out where she had seen them before. The person was standing near Miroku and Sango, speaking to them for what seemed a few minutes. She didn't even notice that Shippo was coming up behind her. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she whipped around defensively.

"Shippo! Please don't do that. You scared me."

"That was not my intention." He said solemnly. "Kagome and Inuyasha want you and I to come over, as well as Sango and Miroku. There are things to be discussed."

"Yes, of course." Rin said.

Shippo gently took her arm and helped her away from the sadness and devastation that surrounded them and to Kagome's home.

((Meanwhile))

Miroku had his arm wrapped around Sango's shoulder as she held the hand of their youngest child, Huyu. They were both very devastated by the death of Kaede. She had always been a person to go to, and a great voice of wisdom on their journeys with Inuyasha and Kagome.

A strange man was walking by everyone, studying faces and surveying the area, which Miroku took immediate notice. And in his kindly nature, he took his arm back and walked over to the man.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you? You're looking a little lost."

"Hello, kind sir. My name is Jaru. I seek out a healer by the name of Kagome." The man said. Miroku took notice to the fact the man looked anything but ill. He was a big and healthy man.

"You have come to the right place if that is who you seek. Is there an emergency?" Miroku inquired.

"No, it is not an emergency." The man said, looking around. "I see that someone very important has passed away here."

"Yes, the village Elder has passed and everybody is very saddened. Especially Kagome, so if there is no emergency, might you try coming tomorrow?" Miroku suggested.

"Yes, yes. That would be fine." The man said, still surveying the land. He looked in the direction of Rin and Shippo and his eyes focused when he saw her. He saw the fox demon that was next to her lead her away from the scene and he scowled before realizing Miroku was looking at him strangely. "Thank you for your kindness, monk."

The man slunk off into the distance and Miroku watched him curiously until he was completely gone.

" _What a strange man." He thought._

"Come, Sango." Miroku said, getting her attention. "We are to meet at Kagome's home."

Sango picked up Huyu and turned to her other kids. "You are all to go home and stay there. Do you understand me?"

All of her older children nodded somberly and took each other's hands, heading homeward as Sango and Miroku walked in the opposite direction with Huyu. They came to the house and entered. Shippo and Rin were already there with Kagome and Inuyasha. Azami was sleeping in her mother's arms. Rin had never seen Kagome look so devastated before. They sat across from everybody, joining them in conversation. Little Huyu had a toy he was preoccupied with, so he remained very silent as he sat between Miroku and Sango.

"I don't want you to leave just yet. I don't either of you to leave. I feel like we've just gotten everyone back together and then this happens. At least Kaede got to see you two again before she passed on." Kagome was speaking to Shippo and Rin.

"Kagome, I will stay for another few weeks, if that is what you want." Shippo said. "I can't just abandon you guys at a time like this."

"Rin, I still need you here so much. I think we all do." Kagome said, turning to RIn.

"You couldn't possibly mean that." Rin said.

"She does." Miroku said. "You've been such a great help with all of the children. And besides, even if we didn't need you around, we would still want you to be because you're our friend."

Sango smiled at Miroku and then turned to Rin and nodded. "Not just us, the children want you around too."

"Rin." Inuyasha finally spoke. "I think we all know you don't plan on going back home."

Everybody in the room grew silent for minute at Inuyasha's blatant statement. He wasn't going to beat around the bush for anyone's comfort. Rin never spoke of the reasons she left her old village but everybody figured by now, that is was a permanent decision.

"Fine." Rin said, a little angry. "You got me. I'm not going back. But that does not mean that I should stay. I make no living here. I will be a burden."

"Rin, we would like you to take over Kaede's home." Kagome cut in. "I can start paying you to watch Azami for me. I've become so busy in my work. It seems there isn't a moment that someone isn't sick. You do have a living here, and I need you so much. Please stay."

Rin became silent for a few minutes. _"I suppose if I am not being a burden on anyone and am making my own way, I could stay for an extended period of time. But I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen here if I stay."_

"I suppose I could stay." Rin said, making Kagome smile.

"Thank you for reconsidering."

The conversation went on to different matters, and Rin sat there silently, tuning everyone out. She thought of Kaede and how empty that home would be now that she was gone.

When everybody began to depart, Rin made her way silently over to the home that had belonged to Kaede. She grabbed a bag and started to throw some of Kaede's things into it, figuring Kagome might want them. Rin had no use for things that a priestess kept. She felt as if Kaede was still here, even though she had watched her being buried. Rin made herself some tea and sat on Kaede's side of the table, sipping slowly.

" _It's too quiet here. I wonder what's next."_

…..

Sesshomaru awoke at night time, he looked around in panic for a moment. He had been so tried and raged the day before that he had forgotten where he was for a moment. But when he did realize where he was, he sighed. He couldn't believe he had given in and spent any time at the twins' home. They angered him at times, but they were also other dog demons, and it was hard to deny that he had been okay with them calling him in like that. He had allies, but with other dog demons he knew there would be no foul play. The twins were not going to be attacking him or trying to deceive him. He trusted them without really knowing them much, or else he would not have fallen asleep in their home.

He stood up and looked at his armor on the floor. He picked it up, considering putting it back on but he merely moved it on top of the bed and headed for the door. Sesshomaru wanted to explore the twins' place for a little bit before he left. He was curious to see more of this place. He looked to the woman in the painting again before he left.

The stone walls that surrounded the hallways were dim and dismal looking. There were candles every so often, lighting the path. He found a room down the hall that was lined with the bones of creatures long since passed. Instruments of battle lie around on the floor messily. He shook his head. He understood that the female dog demons were often the most bloodthirsty and vicious sort. His Mother was no exception. Many a time he had seen her rip apart her prey. On one hand, it intrigued him. On the other hand, it seemed archaic.

He heard voices drifting on the air and left the room, following them. He came to a big room where the stone walls with horrible faces carved into it. The rugs had odd designs and there was a strange lamp in the middle. He saw Hana sitting near the lamp with a hose that was attached to it and lightly sucking at the hose, and then blowing out smoke. Gina was digging through a pot in the corner looking for something inside of it and yelling at Hana in the same language they had been speaking when he had first met them. Hana sighed and leaned on her hand lazily.

"Well then you should keep it in your room, then, if you don't want it to go missing." Hana said to Gina sucking away at her hose, blowing out more smoke. She then looked over and saw that Sesshomaru was in the room. She dropped the hose and stood up.

"Sesshomaru, how nice of you to join us. Come, sit." She said, motioning for him to sit beside her.

Gina popped out of her pot and came over, smiling at him. "How did you rest, Sesshomaru?"

"Well." Was all he said on the matter, turning to the lamp before sitting by Hana. "What is this thing?"

"You smoke out of it." Hana said, giving him the hose. He lifted his hand to reject it politely. Hana shrugged and took a few puffs out of it, blowing the smoke playfully in his direction. "We got this when we were traveling."

"Hana is obsessed with the darn thing even though it smells." Gina kicked Hana on the behind when she was walking by and Hana smacked her sister on the leg in defense, saying something under her breath. Gina laughed and sat on the other side of Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was slightly amused by the playful bickering that seemed to be going on between the twins. Even if they were the same in appearance and movement, they were different in personality. Gina was definitely the dominant, more aggressive one whereas Gina was a more laid back, submissive sort. He wondered what it would have been like to have had siblings. He had Inuyasha, but he still never really considered him much of a sibling as they had different mothers. He found them much more bearable than he did before. The smoke had successfully covered up their tantalizing scents too, so he felt more at ease with them at his sides.

"Did you like the room?" Gina asked Sesshomaru. He nodded at her and she smiled.

"Although I am curious as to who the woman in the painting was." He said.

Hana smiled. "That was our Mother."

" _So it was their mother." He thought._

"She had great power, some say even greater than that of our Father in their day." Gina added.

"We know for a fact it is pretty true though." Hana giggled.

"Why do you say that?" Sesshomaru was curious.

"Our Mother had Father wrapped around her finger. What she said, went. Our Father was more like her servant, the way he kissed at her feet and worshipped her. I suppose he couldn't help himself, though, she was so beautiful and fierce. He would have done anything to make her happy."

Sesshomaru nodded and thought of his Mother. His Father had always been the dominant one between them, but he always suspected she may have been a great influence to him. She always seemed to get what she wanted from him until he left her for Izayoi.

"Perhaps we should make that room a little more guest friendly?" Gina looked to her sister smiling.

"Not that we really ever have many guests." Hana looked to Sesshomaru. "You didn't find the painting too risqué, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, not really wishing to speak his true feelings about the painting.

"If anything, I think our guest quite enjoyed it." Gina laughed.

"Gina!" Hana scolded her, holding back her own laughter.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at the girls inappropriate banter. Gina took notice of this and cleared her throat to let Hana know it was time to stop.

"Where are our manners? Sesshomaru, can we get you anything?" Gina asked.

"No, I'm alright. I must be going soon, though." Sesshomaru answered.

Both of the twins faces dropped as they got closer to him. "No no! You must stay for a while!" Hana insisted, getting close to his neck, in order to take in his scent.

"We don't get too many guests, and it's so nice to have a beast like you about our home, leaving your scent everywhere you go." Gina said, rubbing one of his shoulders.

Sesshomaru felt their heat against his and felt a sense of arousal come over him. It was an instinct that took over when he had females scent near and he was already trying to fight it. Although he didn't know exactly why he wanted to stop himself from taking one of them and having his way with her, they were very obvious about their attraction to him.

" _I must hold back. I do not need that kind of company." He lied to himself._

Gina moved behind him and started to rub his back, making his body stretch out a bit. He enjoyed the feeling of her massaging touch. Although he quickly snapped himself out of it and stood up.

"I will stay for one more day, but no more." Sesshomaru said, and both of the women nodded to him.

"Yes, just please come sit with us. We will try to be more reserved. There aren't too many males about and sometimes we forget ourselves." Gina said.

"Yes, please." Hana added.

Sesshomaru sat and looked to both of the women with their attractive smiles. Looking for something else to do, he grabbed the hose and sucked in a little, letting the smoke escape through his nostrils.

"Strange." He said simply, making the girls laugh.

…

Ami awoke in the morning to a blurry face looking at her. The face cleared a little and she could see Akio above her talking to her, but she couldn't really hear him all that well. She felt her head thump and radiate heat as she laid there silently.

"Ami. Ami." He said a few times.

"Yes?" She answered half-awake.

"She's burning up." She could hear him say to the person with him. "Apply some cold water to her forehead and notify me if there are any changes."

"Yes, my lord." Said a voice. Ami recognized it as Kira's. It all seemed like a dream, she could barely come to.

"Ami. I want you to rest." She could hear him say, only being able to nod in response.

Akio stood up and made his way out of the room. It was just about noon time and Ami hadn't woken up until now. He figured something must have been wrong when she wasn't the one to wake him up. He worried for her. He made his way to the garden and milled around for a bit, picking flowers and smelling them. He saw his father sitting in the middle of the garden and went over to sit next to him.

"Ami is ill." He said, trying to make conversation.

"It's probably your fault. That poor girl had been through enough before you started going at her like a dog in heat." Eito answered.

"Father, must you say things like that?"

"Someone must tell the truth. You go at that girl all day long, she was bound to end up ill. I don't really think you deserve to be having anyone with the way you've been acting."

"What does that mean, Father?"

"Let's not beat around the bush. You hurt Rin and she took off on you. Now you are using Ami as an outlet for your desires."

Akio's eyebrows tightened. He did not like that his Father knew about what he had done. "I am not using Ami. I've always been fond of her."

"Fond of the way she worships you, maybe." Eito responded. "My son, I love you very much. But you have been acting most wretched."

Eito started to stand and Akio took his hand. "Father. Rin will come back. Things will be better."

"I don't know, my son. I don't know." Eito said as he slowly walked away.

Akio felt shame build up in his soul. He reflected on how Rin had made him feel before he attacked her. He had never meant for things to get so out of hand. His guilt soon turned to anger for Rin being out of his reach. Anger at himself and anger at her for taking off like she did without even a note. Maybe she really was done with him.

…

Sesshomaru was roused by a loud sound he couldn't decipher. He had been resting in the bedroom after attempting to socialize with the twins. Socializing was not his thing to begin with, but he started to feel somewhat normal with the twins around him. He found them irritating and irresponsible, but that did not stop him from being around them like he was. There was something about the twins that made him comfortable.

" _Is this what I am supposed to feel like? Are these the kind of women I should be consorting with? I feel as if I should be thrilled to have two demon women so interested in me. Why don't I feel as strongly for either of them as I do for.. her..I suppose I should investigate that sound."_

Sesshomaru rose up from the bed and slowly made his way into the large room where he had seen the girls before. When he heard both Gina and Hana's voices not too far from the room, he sat down on a bench, figuring there was no emergency. He rubbed his eye with his index finger as he heard a few thumps, wondering what the hell the girls could be doing to make this much sound. That's when he heard the shrieks. It sounded human, and he sighed.

" _These two are quite ruthless." He thought._

The door busted open and Sesshomaru watched as a human woman with a gash on her forehead came running into the room. The woman was looking behind her and didn't notice the hose on the floor, tripping over it and she shouted as she fell, her body sliding face down over to Sesshomaru's feet. He moved his feet away and looked down at her. The woman lifted her body off the ground but froze when she saw Sesshomaru. He was more terrifying than the two female demons combined. The twins came up behind her, smiling.

"We are so glad you're here, Sesshomaru. You're just in time." Gina said, grabbing the human woman by her hair, making the woman scream.

Sesshomaru didn't really like what was going on, but he had killed so many humans before he would feel like a hypocrite stopping the twins. It was their business if they wanted to kill this woman.

"Please, let me go!" The woman screamed. "I haven't done anything!"

"Silence!" Hana grabbed the woman by her face. "You are pathetic."

Gina ripped at the woman's kimono, exposing her shoulder. Sesshomaru merely watched. He didn't find it very appropriate that they were toying around with her but he didn't say anything.

"Sesshomaru, would you like the first bite?" Gina offered the woman's neck to him. He shook his head.

"Oh don't be shy. Come." Hana said, running her claws across the womans chest, making her cry.

"Don't be insulted. Our guest is being shy. Of course he wants to eat you." Gina teased the woman.

Gina smirked and dragged the woman by her hair across the room. The woman prayed aloud, trying to escape mentally from whatever was about to happen to her, which made Sesshomaru sick to his stomach. Hana started to kick the woman around, blood started to make small designs on the floor.

"Is this entirely necessary?' Sesshomaru finally said. The twins looked to him confusedly and then nodded to each other. Maybe this wasn't his idea of fun.

"It seems our guest wants to give you a merciful death. Go on, go to him." Gina ordered, kicking the woman in his direction.

The girls watched as the poor woman crawled over to Sesshomaru, sobbing. Sesshomaru looked at the woman's face and knew he couldn't harm her or stand to watch this pitiful woman be ripped apart by the twins. He hadn't killed many humans since he had met Rin and didn't really intend to. He let his hand come down and pull the woman up onto her feet.

"You are free to go." He said to the woman. The twins faces dropped as the woman started to cry in relief. They looked on in confusion as he looked away from them.

The woman ran as fast as she could out of the room and out of the twins' home. Hana and Gina stood there in disbelief. Had Sesshomaru really just let the human go free? They looked at each other and then to him.

"It would seem Sesshomaru has a soft spot for humans." Gina said.

"How sweet." Hana added, cupping her hands together.

Sesshomaru stood up and looked over to the girls. "I trust you are insulted that I let her get away."

"A little." Gina teased, approaching him. "Perhaps we should eat you instead."

Sesshomaru knew that Gina was merely teasing, as she had no seriousness to her voice.

"It's a shame, really, I wanted to see the beast in action. You are always so composed. I don't like it." Gina stated.

"We should like to see you otherwise." Hana said.

"You would not like to see me otherwise." Sesshomaru argued.

Gina and Hana were getting uncomfortably close to him. Their scent met his nose, making him tense.

"Oh, but I would." Gina whispered into his ear, gaining his arousal. The girls let their hands find his shoulders, running their hands down his arms. He felt his primal state taking over him, and he felt angry at the girls for making it happen again. "Show us how powerful you really are."

Sesshomaru's hands began to travel behind the girls. His right hand finding Gina, his left hand behind Hana. In one quick motion, he grabbed both of the girls by the roots of their hair, pulling their heads back slightly. Gina and Hana gasped at his grip and they both froze up, unsure of his intentions. He pulled Gina's head back, and looked into her exposed neck. He leaned in and let his nose find her neck, breathing in her scent. He then did the same to Hana. He then released them, his body at wit's end. Hana and Gina knew this and began to descend upon him with their claws. Both the girls began to pull at his robes, exposing his chest and shoulders. They let their teeth sink in to either of his shoulders while groping at him. His blood ran down his shoulders as his face turned upward and he closed his eyes, feeling their fangs deep in himself. His primal side had completely taken over now, and there was nothing stopping him.

He ripped their kimonos with his claws, and they breathed out in unison. Gina grabbed his left arm and Hana grabbed his right and they started to pull him with them. There was a white hue around his vision as the two nude demoness' led him to the bedroom, looking at him enticingly with their blood covered smiles. He grabbed Gina's hand and bit into it, she moaned aloud, exciting him. When they got to the bed room the women let go of him and crawled onto the bed, looking at each other, and then to him. Gina lifted her hand and motioned with her finger for him to join them before letting her claw dig into her skin.

"Come. We want to share you." She whispered seductively.

Sesshomaru watched as they playfully enticed him to join him. He let his robes fall to the floor and walked over the door, slowly shutting it before turning back to the girls.

…

It had been a couple weeks, and Ami felt a little better but overall she still felt sick. Akio came to see her a couple times a day and had her stay with him at night although he was showing restraint, not wanting to worsen her condition. She was lying down on the futon and Kai was above her, placing some cool rags on her head. The young girl was sweet yet mouthy, but only to the other staff around the castle. Ami had known Kai since she came here as she was the illegitimate child of one of the servants here. Lord Eito was a soft man and allowed her mother to stay with the child at the castle. She was only four years young than Ami but Ami still felt as if she was the little girl she had known when she first came here. Now the girl was old enough and working here. Ami ran her finger down Kais face and smiled at her.

"You're so grown up, Kai."

"I know, that is not a good thing."

"Why do you say that?" Ami asked, curious.

"I don't want to be a woman yet." Kai said, shaking her head.

"Don't say such things, Kai, you will like becoming a woman."

"No, I won't. Not if it means having to give myself to a man."

Her words hit Ami greatly. She felt like crying at the girl's cynicism.

"Lord Akio says Lady Rin was taken, but I don't think she got kidnapped. I think she got out of here because of him. He tries to act like a nice man, and sometimes I think he is. But there is a rage deep inside of that man, and it shows itself to those unlucky enough to see it."

"Kai, how dare you speak of our Lord that way." Ami said. "I will not listen to another word. Get out."

"Fine. Be blinded by his flattery. But if he finds Lady Rin and stops coming to you, don't look to me for sympathy." Kai stood up and threw the rag in the bucket and walked out on Ami. Ami weakly stood up and paced around the room, letting Kai's words sink in. She didn't want to admit to herself that Kai could have been right about Akio. If Rin came back, where would she fit into his plans? She didn't want to share him, especially with someone who didn't want him to begin with.

Ami breathed deeply and made her way into the halls of the castle, her friends who worked around the castle refused to look at her. She suspected it had something to do with the fact she was fooling around with the Lord of the castle. She shook her head and made her way out into the garden, breathing in the fresh air made her feel a little better. She found a bench and sat on it, leaning back to feel the sun in her face when she overheard two voices. There was a bush between them but she could hear Akioa dn another man. Ami lifted her feet to hide herself and leaned in to listen.

"So what do you have, my friend?" He asked.

"She is in a village a week's travel from here. I saw her at a memorial service that the monk was holding and she was being led away by a demon."

"A demon you say?"

"Yes, the man had a big red tail so I assume that he was not human."

"My friend, I can always count on you to find who I'm looking for. You found those thieves and now you've found the vagabonds who took my wife. You will be paid handsomely."

"Thank you, my Lord." The man said. "Do you want me to alert the men that she's been found?"

"No, no. I wish to fetch her myself. I think I can handle this on my own." Akio responded.

Ami's heart sank at his words. She knew that it must be over between her and Akio now that he knew where Rin was. But also, she was unhappy for Rin. She knew that the last thing Rin wanted was to be back here. Rin would fight coming back, no doubt. Ami shook her head.

"Thank you, my Lord." The man said after he was paid and took off into the distance. She heard Akio getting up and sighing.

"Got you." He said to himself before walking by Ami. He stopped when he saw her sitting there with her knees hugged to her, looking absently into the ground. Akio straightened himself out.

"What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be inside resting." He said.

She said nothing as she stared into the pebbles that made the walkway. She was so angry at him for wanting to go after Rin, she could hardly take it. Her heart was exploding inside of her. Not only that, she could not forget the things Kai had said to her. Akio took a deep breath and sat down next to her.

"So you overheard." He said nodding to himself.

"I don't think you should go." Ami stated, looking to her side.

"You know I must, Ami. Rin is my wife and she belongs here."

"We both know she is not going to come back willingly."

Akio paused and put his fingers to his temples, not wanting to lose his temper again. The topic of Rin made him anxious and uncomfortable. He wanted to believe that she would forgive him and come back willingly, but he was a smart man and knew that something like that would take a very long time. It didn't matter though, he couldn't just forget about her and move on, there was an image he needed to uphold and he could not just let it go.

"That is not something you should worry about now. What you need to worry about is feeling better."

"I know you will be rid of me if you return with her. She challenges you, and I do not. You came to me only because she is gone."

Akio sighed in frustration and shook his head. "I am leaving tomorrow. I want you to trust me that when I return, nothing will change between us."

Ami wilted, feeling too tired to argue with him any further. "Yes, my Lord." She said weakly, letting her feet find the floor. She picked herself up off the bench and Akio walked beside her, watching her intently as she moved forward.

" _So strange that she has been sick all week like this yet nobody else in the castle has been ill. Suppose she is.. no, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tomorrow I leave. "_

….

Sesshomaru was lying down with a fur pelt wrapped around his waist on the bed. There was blood on the walls and on his skin. There were a couple limbs draped over his half naked figure as the women to either side of him slept. Gina was on his right, sleeping on her stomach and Hana was on his left, sprawled out like a starfish. He laid there and thought about what had occurred here over the past week. The twins were vicious lovers, and he felt drained from having to handle the both of them. They had scratch marks on their bodies, and he had bite and scratch marks that were fading about his figure. But there was a sense of accomplishment about him. He had laid with not one but two attractive dog demon women. Most demons would be proud of themselves. But he found that the feeling that came after was nothing but guilt. He did feel for Hana and Gina, but only in the slightest. He did not feel for them as he felt for Rin. And that made him sick to his stomach. That he could feel this way for anyone was disturbing enough, but Rin being human only made him angry at himself. He felt that if he should have feelings, it should be for the twins, and not for Rin. But the truth was that he felt so much for Rin that no one could replace her. Not Hana. Not Gina.

Just then, Sesshomaru felt a hand crawl up his face and tenderly rub him under the chin. Gina was awake and stroking him, it felt nice and he looked down at her, and waited for her to speak.

"You are quite a specimen, Sesshomaru." Gina said, letting her hand fall down to his chest.

"I've been curious about something." Sesshomaru said, looking up at the painting that hung over their heads. "How did your Mother die?"

Gina sighed. "She was ambushed by a band of humans. Demon hunters."

"Hn." Sesshomaru was tracing his fingers along the scratch marks that he had made on Hana's thighs before turning back to Gina. "Is that why you hunt and torture humans?"

"Maybe. I don't know anymore. It is fun though." She said, running a claw down his cheek gently. "Why such sympathy for them? And don't try to say you don't have it, because I know very well that you do."

" _Rin.." He thought of her when she was young, picking flowers and laughing aloud._

"I had just had a brush with death, and was injured in the woods after a battle. I could not move much for a couple of days. Both days, a human girl came to me. She knew that I was injured, and instead of being afraid of me, she tried to help me. I, of course, did not need her help and told her to go away. But she insisted."

"Ohhhhh, that's the sweetest story I've ever heard." Hana said, making both Sesshomaru and Gina turn to her. They had not known she was awake at all. She was on her side resting her head on her hand.

"What became of the human girl?" Gina asked, wanting to hear more.

Sesshomaru's heart sank when he thought of Rin now, looking pale and defeated at such a young age. But somehow, still very lovely.

"She was killed by a pack of wolves a few days later." Sesshomaru said, wanting to end the story. He had not lied, Rin had been killed by the wolves that day. But he did not want to tell the part of the story where he brought her back to life.

"Sad." Hana said.

"Humans are." Gina added.

"I must be leaving, I have things I need to attend to." Sesshomaru said, lifting himself up.

"You mustn't go." Hana said, reaching out for his abs.

"If you must." Gina said, turning around to lie on her back, exposing the scratch marks on her stomach.

Sesshomaru took both of the hands that were laid upon him and out to his sides, attempting to leave the bed that had been occupied and destroyed by the three sexually charged dog demons for the past several days. He found his robes on the floor, and threw it over his body. He looked over at his reflection in a big mirror that hung on the wall and saw a small scratch mark over his pale nose. He shook his head as he got dressed, bringing his armor over his chest.

"Come back anytime you'd like. We'd love to do that again." Gina said, smiling.

Sesshomaru looked back to them and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in one last time to take a good whiff of their scent. He stood up and nodded to them before he left.

"He'll be back." Gina said to Hana after he was gone.

Sesshomaru made his way outside before transforming and taking off into the sky, on his way back to camp. His mind tortured him with thoughts of Rin, and guilt over choosing to sleep with twins instead of her.

" _No, I am doing the right thing. I could not allow Rin to be like Izayoi and bear a half demon child. That would be disgraceful. It is not the way things are meant to be. A human girl stands no chance against me, anyways. I could not treat her as Hana and Gina, or she would surely die from her injuries. My claws brought them pleasure, where they would only bring Rin pain and suffering. This Sesshomaru will only mate with demon women. And yet.. why do I still feel this way?"_

….. 

The sun was beating down on Rin's face as she swept dirt out of what was now her home. She wiped her forehead with her arm and sighed. She had been very busy the past several weeks since Kaede's death. She had cleaned out all of the old woman's stuff and made herself comfortable. Sango had gone back to work to slay demons with Miroku and Inuyasha so she would watch Azami and Huyu during the day as they were too little to be off by themselves like Sango's older children were. Still, they visited too to keep themselves busy from time to time. Rin had been getting used to her routine, although she missed when she had had Kaede around to talk to. She sadly made her way back inside the house, looking at the small wooden crib Inuyasha had built with a sleeping Azami in it. She smiled weakly at the tired baby and called for Huyu. The little boy came running towards her and wrapped his arms around her legs.

"Rin! Rin! I found a bug!" Huyu yelled excitedly and Rin nodded her head, not really paying much attention.

Rin had been thinking about Sesshomaru everyday. Her mind would not let her forget about him.

" _Will he have me wait forever? I should just give up now, he will never come to his senses."_

Just then, she heard a sound outside. Rin jumped and looked out a window. She breathed in the fresh air from the outside and turned back in to look at the little boy that was staring at her.

"Huyu, I want you to go lie down for a little while." She told the young boy, making him groan aloud.

"I won't! I won't!" He yelled at her.

"You will. You will. Now go or I'm going to tell your Mother when she asks for you." Rin warned Huyu. The small boy quickly jumped up and made his way into another room.

Rin slowly made her way out of the door and looked to see Shippo walking towards her. "Shippo, what are you doing?"

"Rin! I've just come to say goodbye for now. Things have settled down here. It's time for me to go." He said.

"I'm sad to see you go." She said somberly. They wrapped their arms around each other.

"I will be back to visit soon. I promise." He said, letting her go.

"Good, you must." Rin said, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"So this is it for now, huh?" Shippo looked at the home that used to be Kaede's.

"I guess so." Rin said with a half smile. "But the kids aren't going to be little forever and I'm going to need to find other work. But for now, I'm glad to be here and doing what I can for our friends."

Shippo nodded agreement before standing up straight. "The kids inside?"

"Yes, they are asleep. But I can go get them if you want to say bye." Rin offered. Shippo shook his head.

"That's okay. I don't want to disturb them. I'll visit in a few months, they won't even miss me."

"You better! Or else they will be very cross with you." Rin joked. "By the way, you never told me the name of the girl you like."

"Her name? It is Soten. Maybe someday you will meet her."

"Well for what it's worth, I hope it works out between the both of you." Rin said.

They embraced each other one more time before Shippo started walking away. Rin sat and leaned up against the house, letting the sun soak into her skin as she watched her good friend disappear into the distance. She sat there for a while, feeling sad. Shippo was such a good friend, and he was gone already. She thought of Kaede and of her friends she left behind in the castle. She missed Ami and Eito very much. But most of all, she missed Sesshomaru. She hated herself for missing him so much.

"Why can't I just forget him and move on with my life?" She asked herself aloud.

She heard Azami crying inside and sighed, disappointed that her moment of peace was over. The cry ended as soon as it started, and Rin's eyebrows tightened. She stood up and walked into the house, slowly making her way over to the crib that would contain Azami. She looked inside and the baby girl was missing. Rin panicked as she frantically looked around on the floor for the missing child.

"Azami!" She called, hoping the baby would cry out for her. But the cry didn't come.

Rin quieted and she heard voices coming from the room that Huyu was supposed to be sleeping in and sighed in relief.

" _Huyu must have helped Azami out of her crib and took her to play. I am going to give him such a scolding." Rin thought._

Rin shook her head as she approached the room, but then she heard a voice that was not Azami or Huyu and it was speaking softly. Rin felt her heart sink into her stomach as she got closer to the door. Who could be in her home, and without her seeing them enter? And why were they with the kids?

"You're a big lad, aren't you?" The voice said.

"Yes. Mommy says so." Huyu answered.

Rin finally stepped in the doorway and froze still at what she saw. Her eyes widened and turned bloodshot at the sight. Akio was sitting down in the room, with a sleeping Azami in his arms and little Huyu on his knee, chewing on a big piece of candy. She couldn't breathe as she looked straight at Akio.

"Rin! The man has candy!" Huyu shouted in delight, as Rin stood there.

Akio turned his face to Rin and smiled, and then looked into his arms at the sleeping baby, rocking her. Rin could feel her arms shaking uncontrollably as a look of dismay came over her features the more she started to realize that he really was there in front of her.

" _How did he find me? Why? How did he get here? How is he here right now?" Her mind tugged at her in disbelief._

"What are you doing here?!" Rin finally managed to say, her voice sounding painful.

"Shhhhhh." Akio shushed her, looking down at Azami and then back to her. "The child is very darling for a demon. I would hate for you to wake her up. I already rocked her back to sleep."

Rin felt the heat build up in the back of her neck as he spoke to her and rocked Azami, as if nothing was wrong and everything was perfectly normal. Rin motioned to Huyu to come to her.

"Come to me, Huyu." Rin said, her voice cracking.

"No, Rin. I like the man." Huyu answered back.

"You don't know him." Rin argued angrily. "Come to me."

Akio smiled and leaned in towards the boy. "Huyu, I'm afraid Rin is angry with me."

"Why?" Huyu asked, staring at Rin while sucking away at the piece of candy Akio had used to gain his trust.

"Because I did something not very nice." Akio answered, beginning to stand up. Azami still resting rather comfortably on his arm. "But I'm here to make it better."

"Stop talking to him." Rin raised her voice. "Give her to me."

"Don't be so rude, Rin. Didn't you miss me at all?" Akio said, gently handing Azami to Rin. Rin held her with both of her arms and backed away from him.

"Now get out." Rin said, walking briskly to the other room, Akio following behind her.

"I've come a long way to see you, Rin." He said.

Rin shook her head as she placed Azami back into her crib. Her hands shook as she placed them on the edge of the crib, not wanting to turn around. "I don't care. I want you gone."

Akio reached out and ran his fingers down her hair, making her cringe. She turned around and pushed him away. "Get out of my home!" She shouted.

Huyu started to cry from the doorway, afraid of Rin's shouting. She brushed past Akio, picking up the small boy and holding him to her. The boy sniffled in Rin's shoulder.

"Rin, this is not your home. Your home is back with me at the castle. We are married, that means we have to work together through the hard times. Not take off in the middle of the night without even a trace, making everybody who cares for you worry to death for your safety." He said, "I will not be leaving without you." It was clear that Akio was not going to be leaving the house. Rin made the decision to go get help to have him removed.

"Come, Huyu, we're leaving." Rin said, putting the boy down and walking over to pick up Azami. The baby opened her eyes and looked around confusedly. She looked at Akio and then back at Rin.

"I will be here when you come back, and then you will be leaving with me." Akio said, making himself comfortable over by the table. "Oh, and I have this whole village surrounded so don't try anything stupid, my sweet. I think we would both like to keep the peace. I don't want anyone to get hurt. If you care about your friends, you will come quietly."

Rin stopped at the door and looked back at him. He had this all planned out. She could not go got help unless she wanted to bring trouble to Kagome and the villagers. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango were not here to protect anyone. She left the house, furious. Tears ran down her face. Huyu started to cry as well, and Rin picked him up with her free arm. He wrapped his arms around her neck and let his hand wipe tears off her face, not quite understanding the situation.

Kagome was in her house seeing a pregnant villager when Rin came crashing in with Azami and Huyu in her arms. She leapt up and grabbed Azami out of her arms, asking the woman to excuse the interruption. "What's going on, Rin? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I have to go. You need to take the kids." Rin said, her eyes not meting Kagome's face.

"I'll take the kids but if something is wrong you need to tell me." Kagome said, letting her hand find Rin's face. Rin looked at Kagome and shook her head sadly.

"I just can't stay anymore. I have to leave. I don't have time to explain myself."

"Please, don't make such a quick decision." Kagome pleaded, completely thrown off by the sudden change that came over Rin. Just this morning, she was as happy as she could be and now she was crying and trying to leave the village.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Shippo leaving, does it?" She asked confusedly.

Rin stopped at the doorway and looked back at Kagome. "You are a good friend, Kagome." Was all she said before disappearing out the door.

Kagome ran outside after her, placing Azami on the ground. "Rin, I'm not going to let you just walk out of our lives on a whim."

"Kagome.." Rin said, turning back to her. "I should have never come here to live. It was a bad idea. I don't want to stay here another minute." She said, watching Kagome's face go from concerned to hurt.

"Fine! If you want to walk away from the only family you've ever had, go ahead!" Kagome yelled as she stood there and watched as Rin walked away without another word. Her feelings were hurt, but she leaned down to pick up her child off the ground and headed back inside angrily.

Rin felt the heat of a thousand suns build up in her body as she stormed back to the house, knowing that Akio would be there waiting for her. She approached the door and stood there for a minute, catching her own breath. She hated to hurt Kagome's feelings, but had to get her to back off. She leaned her hand up against the wall and closed her eyes.

" _I can't let him take me with him, can I? What choice do I have? If I don't, there will be trouble for my friends. I couldn't live with myself if I let anything happen to them. But that doesn't mean I have to go peacefully."_

She stormed inside the house, looking around for Akio. She found him at the table she had left him at. He had made himself tea and was sitting cross legged waiting patiently for her to speak. Rin felt a rage build up in her. She stomped over to Akio and brought back her arm, letting her fist come down directly onto his nose. He let his hand come up to his nose, holding it, but not making a sound.

"Why'd you come for me?!" She shouted at him, ignoring the pain in her fist.

"Perhaps I deserved that." He said, collecting himself after such a powerful hit to the face. "But that doesn't change anything."

Rin kicked and punched at him, letting all of her rage out on him. He merely put his hand up as she went off on him. When she stopped, he slowly got up, wiping some blood from his nose. Rin looked at him angrily as he straightened himself out.

"Are you done, then?" He asked, trying to act composed even though he was sore and angry from Rin's attack.

"I'll never be done fighting you." She said, her eyes like flames meeting with his.

"You hit me when I was down. That's hardly fair, Rin." Akio said, motioning to his belt. "Thanks for my sword back, by the way."

Rin hit him across the face, and he turned, holding onto his chin. He broke his composure, grabbing Rin's face and slamming her back up against the wall. He held her face there, as she stood there without moving. He let go and leaned in to kiss her, his lips meeting with hers. She pushed him away and covered her lips, not wanting him to advance on her anymore than he already had. He let out a laugh.

"My sweet, it is time to go."

((That's a wrap on chapter 16. Thank for reading and being patient! Next chapter, somethings gonna happen that I think a lot of you will be happy about. But I can't say what. So stay tuned! Xoxo)


	17. C17: An Unlikely Team

( Oh my gosh! I am so sorry for making you guys wait soo long for this chapter. Too much happened in a short period of time. Yours truly got very sick and landed in the hospital for a little bit so I was far too pissed off from being attached to heart monitors and having my blood taken to even consider picking up my laptop and write. But I'm back and feeling great so you're not gonna have to wait that long again. Thanks guys! You're great!)

Chapter 17: An Unlikely Team

Miroku came through the door of his home to see his wife and his children sitting around looking somber. Little Huyu was sitting on Sango's lap, stroking her hair with one hand and had his thumb in his mouth with the other.

"Now now, why such sad faces?" He said, making his entrance. "I want to see some smiles."

When nobody got up to see him or even looked in his direction he sighed. He made his way over to Sango and kissed her on the cheek tenderly. "What is the matter?"

"I was talking to Kagome earlier and Rin took off last minute. She just showed up, gave her the kids and said she was leaving without any explanation. Sometimes I don't think she's right in the head. She looked just fine this morning when I left Huyu with her."

Miroku shook his head somberly as he sat down next to her. "It saddens me to hear she thought she had to leave last minute without even a goodbye. It is strange but you never know with these things."

"Kagome was crying when I showed up. Rin must have said something that upset her."

"Are we sure she's left yet?" Miroku asked.

"I didn't check." Sango answered.

Huyu popped his thumb out of his mouth and looked at his parents. "The man had candy."

"Who had candy?" Sango said, turning Huyu around to face her. The toddler shrugged.

"The man." He said innocently.

"What man?" Sango asked.

The little boy went back to stroking his mother's hair. "Rin cried." He said before sticking his thumb back in his mouth. Miroku looked to Sango and she looked back at him wondering what he could be talking about. It was no use trying to get him to clarify as he was too young to talk in detail. Sango stood up with Huyu in her arms.

"I will go to the house." Sango said.

"I want to come with you." Miroku said, standing.

"No, you stay here with the kids." Sango argued. "I'll take Huyu with me."

Without waiting for him to speak, Sango was out the door with her boy in her arms, heading for Rin's home. She slowed down when she got to the door and entered, peering her head in. She put Huyu down on the ground and looked around.

"Hello?" She said aloud to no answer.

As far as she could see, everything was in its place. She went from room to room trying to see if anything had been taken or if there was any sign of a struggle. She went over to a box that was sitting somewhere near Rin's futon and opened it, going through the neat little trinkets that were in there. She pulled out an amethyst necklace with a broken chain and became skeptical.

"Why would Rin leave all these things behind?" Sango asked herself aloud.

She stood up and made her way to the main room where she found a spilled cup of tea on the floor. She bent down to pick it up and saw that there was a whole bag of uncooked rice nearby. Sango bit her lip.

"She would need to bring food if she were traveling." Sango said, looking over to little Huyu, playing.

"The man had candy." Huyu repeated for the hundredth time, being of no help. "Rin was mad."

Sango nodded her head and picked Huyu up, carrying him out of the house.

"There's something not right about this."

…

Rin felt her hips become sore as her waist was being bounced up and down by the horse she was on. Akio behind her, she tried to ignore how close in proximity he was to her. Akio held the reigns of the horse. Rin couldn't believe he had pulled this off. She thought that she would not have to see him again, but here he was, dragging her back. She held back tears of anger. She was angry that he had come for her, and even angrier that he had deceived her.

"You lied about your men." She said, breaking the silence. "You came alone."

"Clever me, huh? I knew you would believe me." He said. "No matter, though. Don't feel bad about being outwitted."

"I don't. I feel bad that you came all this way to get me when I don't want to go back."

"Well, my sweet, when you signed that scroll you gave yourself to me. You don't get the option to leave."

Rin's heart sank at his harsh words. He was not the same Akio that she had rescued from the river. Rin thought maybe he had always been this crass, but just never to her before and when they were first together. She had not agreed to marry the person he was now, and it made her heart heavy with sorrow. He had been handsome and charismatic, kind and caring. But now all she saw in him was his dark nature. Perhaps a demon long waiting to surface. She shook her head.

"I hate you." Rin said softly.

Akio had not wanted to hear those words coming from her mouth. He stopped the horse and jumped off carelessly, walking away from her. Rin slid down from the horse and watched him walk away. She stroked the horse gently and whispered sweetly to him, to comfort herself. Rin thought for a minute about taking off but quickly put that out of her mind.

" _There is nowhere for me to go, even if I took off with the horse." She thought to herself. "I couldn't dare go back to the village. And there are too many villages who trade with him that would give me up."_

Akio returned with red, puffy eyes a few minutes later. She looked at his blackened nose from where she struck him and almost felt bad for a minute that he had cried for her. But there was little room for sympathy right now as far as she was concerned. Rin stood there, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

"I came all this way. Alone. To come get you and set things right. You have no idea how many things I put off to come get you. My father will barely speak to me now, because of you."

"Because of me." Rin said as she nodded sarcastically. "So it is my fault that you attacked me."

"You are a brat and a selfish one, at that." Akio pointed at her. "I tried to punish you for it, and you fought me, that was when I forgot myself."

Rin shook her head, not wanting him to convince her of anything she knew might not be true. She must have been called a brat by Jaken a million times before but it never really phased her or had any impression.

"No, that's not true." She shouted.

"It is, but you will not hear it. I've already said all of my apologies, I will not spare anymore after what you've done." She found his accusing finger offensively close to her. "The castle is in disarray, people suspect foul play. People want to see the Lady of the castle alive, and I have to be the knight in shining armor to rescue her. I have to cover for the both of us, because if they found out you left on your own free will, they might accuse me of being unfit as their leader. I will not allow this to happen, Rin."

"I don't want to pretend everything is fine." She said quietly. "I'm so sick of pretending."

"Well, you don't have to. Just forgive me and I will forgive you and everything will be as it was before this mess." He said, intending to sound comforting. But his voice brought very little comfort to her. She did not want the responsibility she had to the people of that village. The people who she barely understood. She couldn't think of anything she could say back to Akio that would make her position any more obvious to him.

"Rin, let me help you." He said, opening his arms for her.

"Don't do that, please, spare me." She said, holding her hand up. "Ami may fall for this act, but I don't. I am not so gullible."

She saw a weird look come over his face when she mentioned Ami. She glared into his eyes and he glared back into hers.

"Well, if that's that. Let's continue." He said, motioning to the horse. "I don't want to stay on the road forever."

"I want to walk." Rin said, with her nose in the air.

"Fine."

…..

Sesshomaru had made his way back to camp with a weird air about him. He was still feeling somewhat guilty about mating with the twins at their home in the East. If not for anyone else's sake, for his own. He had tried so hard for so long to avoid engaging in such activities with women. He had had plenty of chances before. He thought of Kagura, who had come on to him several times when she was still alive. Her death had been a moment of weakness for him, to see her in the state she was and not be able to save her had been the first time in his life he had truly felt helpless. The memory of her death haunted him still.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken screeched as he ran over to the dog demon. "I am so pleased to see you after these long months! I was afraid something might have happened to you!"

"What would have happened to me, Jaken? Is there a demon alive that can challenge me?" Sesshomaru asked, glaring at the toad.

"No, that's not what I meant, my Lord!" Jaken said with a drop of sweat coming down from his forehead. "I'm just very happy to see you!"

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said, looking up towards the hill where the palace would be.

"Where have you been all this time, my Lord?" Jaken cried. "The crew finished up on the palace a week ago."

"I have been in the East." He said, happy to hear that his estate was finished. "Show me that it is finished and then they shall receive payment."

Jaken bowed his head and began to lead Sesshomaru up the hill. "Why did you visit the East, my Lord? What could possibly be there for you to need to visit?"

"There are two dog demons who reside there." Sesshomaru answered.

"Creating an alliance between the East and the West is a great way to begin your reign, my Lord."

Sesshomaru felt amused at Jaken's assumption that he was there for business. But every other trip he had taken before that had been for business, so it wasn't completely outrageous for him to think so.

"You may call it an alliance." Sesshomaru said as they began to approach the palace.

It was everything he had wanted it to be. The palace was very large and white, with a row of steps leading to the large front door. A big tree to the side of it, the place was a vision from the outside. Jaken struggled up the big steps as Sesshomaru gracefully followed behind, admiring the ivory color. When he got to the front doors, he pushed them open and let himself in. He was pleased by what he saw inside. There were two ivory statues of dragons to either side of a grand staircase and a great hall that went down further. It was very white and the whole place sparkled since it was new.

As they walked down the hall, Jaken looked up at Sesshomaru, but saw only the same plain expression on his face that he was used to seeing. He could never really tell how his Lord was feeling, which made him nervous. Down the grand hall there was a huge room with ivory pillars on either side of the wall and in the very center of the room there was a throne. It was large and white and had very elegant carvings throughout it. He stopped before it and was almost hesitant to try it out. This is what he had been working towards for the past few hundred years, his own place to rule.. his own throne. He took a moment before he slowly sank down into it, letting his arms rest to both sides. Jaken smiled admiringly at the beautiful man, feeling the same sense of accomplishment as he had followed him for so long. But there was an awkwardness within Sesshomaru, he scolded himself internally for feeling such a way after finally getting what he wanted.

"This Sesshomaru is pleased." Was all he said about it as he stood up.

"And I am so glad to hear that you are!" Jaken screeched.

"I wish to enjoy this place alone for a little while." Sesshomaru said, dropping a large bag on the ground, and Jaken saw it contained the payment to the crew. "Pay them and take some personal time."

"But my Lord it has been months since I last saw you! Are you sure you want me to leave right away?" Jaken complained.

Sesshomaru looked over to Jaken, not saying anything, but giving him a blank stare.

"Okay, my Lord. Thank you for your generosity." Jaken said, not happy about having to leave the palace as soon as it was done. He trudged away with the bag in tow.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru said before Jaken reached the door.

"Yes, my Lord?" Jaken turned around and saw that Sesshomaru's face had softened.

"The girl is at the village with that half brother of mine and his wench. I don't know why she is there but it is none of my concern. I thought _you_ might want to know."

"Of course, my Lord." There had been an unspoken understanding between them when it came to Rin ever since Sesshomaru found out how much the little demon actually cared for her. Although Jaken knew very well that Sesshomaru cared just as much as he did. Jaken bowed his head and nodded before he trudged out the door, leaving Sesshomaru to himself.

…..

Rin woke up when they reached the village, with her head leaning back against Akio. She quickly snapped her head up. A few villagers took notice and began to speak among themselves, bowing their heads and smiles coming over their faces. 'The Lady has been saved!' a few people murmured, 'Lord Akio has returned!'. Rin looked at his face and thought of how perfect it had been that she had hit him about the face. He looked like he had seen a battle and it went well with his story. She sighed and put her head down as the villagers bowed their heads and welcomed her and her husband back with smiles and praise. She knew it was all a lie, and couldn't say anything. She just let him accept his undeserved praise silently.

The week of travel had left her wary. She had thought many times of trying to steal the sword back and taking off but there was nowhere she could really go and no guarantee that she would be able to find food and a place to stay eventually, so she gave up. There was a great weight on her to pretend that nothing was wrong and that she wasn't being dragged back into the very place she had tried to escape. She kept her head low and didn't say anything as they made their way through the gates that led to the castle.

When they got past the gates, Akio stopped the horse and got down. He put out his hand to help Rin down and she looked into his hand and at him. She wanted to resist him, to tell him to go away and never speak to her again. There was a fire behind her eyes and he saw it.

"Come, Rin." He said, looking straight at her.

Rin slowly put out her hand and he took it, helping her down off the horse. He put his arm around her waist and began to walk beside her, holding onto her as if she needed help. A bunch of servants came forward to take Rin off his hands. They felt her forehead and prodded at her.

"Lady Rin! We are so happy to see you returned." One said.

"We are all happy to see that Lady Rin is returned. If one of you will prepare a bath for her, that would be most beneficial." Akio said, leading Rin into the castle as she kept her head low.

There they were greeted by both Lord Eito and Lady Mai. Lady Mai threw her arms around Rin in such away that she had never done before. She never showed affection to Rin at all and she found it most uncomfortable.

"Rin, child! How we've worried for you!" Lady Mai said, obviously hamming it up a bit for her sons sake.

Lady Mai's arms were around Rin, and Lord Eito was standing behind his wife when he locked eyes with Rin. He saw not a saved woman, but an animal cornered. It made his heart sink to look at her. Even though Akio was his son, he did not like the situation at all. Rin remained silent as Lady Mai took her away and down the hall.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Eito said to his son.

"Father, Have faith in me. Things will be better around here." Akio assured him.

"Well, I don't see how they will be with the growing skepticism around here. A few of your men have been talking."

Akio's eyebrows wrinkled and he shook his head. "Well, I'll deal with that. You worry about yourself, old man."

"You know I am the last person I'm worried about."

There was a large silence before Akio spoke again. "Where is Ami?"

"She's been laid up in that room that you had the servants make up for her. I haven't seen her much."

"She is still ill?" Akio asked, but his father did not answer him.

Eito shook his head and walked away from Akio, leaving him standing alone in the hall. Akio took a deep breath and started to make his way down the hall and to the room he had given Ami to stay in. He sighed and walked into the room to find her asleep. He knelt down next to her and stroked her cheek gently with his hand. Her eyes began to flutter a bit and then she jumped when she realized it was him.

"My Lord! I'm so happy to see you returned!" She shouted, sitting up, wrapping her hands around his face. "What happened to you?"

"Don't worry about it. Everything is fine, now." He said, planting a kiss on her lips. "How have you been feeling?"

"A little better, although very tired." She answered, "I am so happy you're back."

"Me too." Akio said, wrapping his arm around her.

Ami blushed and pulled him in to kiss her. When they released each other, Ami stood up and walked away from him.

"What's the matter?" Akio said, lifting himself to stand.

"My lord, I must know. Is she here?" Ami asked him, turning around to face him.

"Yes, Ami, she is here." Akio answered, placing his hands to either sides of her shoulders. "But I don't want you speaking to her at all. You do not have to worry about her, I do not plan to abandon you."

"She is your wife. How can I not worry?" She asked him.

"You do not understand. If I wish to have you, that is my business, not hers." He said, leaning in to kiss her. "I am very fond of you, Ami. My sweet girl."

That was all her needed to say to gain Ami's submission. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. He grabbed her up and gently placed her down on the futon, descending upon her.

((Meanwhile))

Rin was led to the bath by Lady Mai, and she thought the woman's sudden interest in her was so strange. A couple servants were finishing up preparing the bath for Rin. Lady Mai watched them until they were done.

"You may leave now." She said to the girls. The both bowed and left the room, leaving Rin alone with Lady Mai.

"What are you waiting for Rin? Get undressed. Hop in. You must feel dirty from your trip." She said, faking her kindness.

"I want you gone first." Rin said, now wanting Lady Mai to her see her naked.

"We're both girls, Rin. What are you so ashamed of?" Lady Mai had a vicious fake smile across her face, and it made Rin nervous.

"I know that you know that I left on my own." Rin finally said, testing Mai.

"Of course I know." Mai said, getting closer. "But you are not to speak of it. You will keep your mouth shut and accept everybody's sympathy."

"What else am I to do? Expose him?" Rin managed to get out before feeling the sting of Lady Mai's hand across her cheek. It didn't hurt very badly, but Rin was on fire. She wanted so badly to hit the woman back but knew there would be a world of trouble if she did.

"You will do no such thing." Lady Mai said, throwing her hands on her hips and looking Rin up and down. "Besides, you are lucky my son is so lenient. He could have done a lot worse than bring you back. He has this illusion that things will get better but I know they won't."

Rin stared at Mai and Mai stared back at her.

"So get undressed, Rin." Mai said, shrugging.

"Why?" Rin said, confused and offended at to why Lady Mai would want to see her nude.

"The demon you were seen with. Surely he left his mark on you, you little whore."

"Shippo?" Rin suddenly realized where she had seen the man at Kaede's service before. "I was not consorting with him."

"Liar." Lady Mai hissed before her demeanor changed. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "No matter anyways, Akio has already taken on a mistress in your absence."

Rin was surprised to hear this as he had not mentioned this at all throughout their trip back here.

"I don't care. He can have whoever he wants because he will not have me. Now leave." Rin said back, making Lady Mai scowl. The old woman left the room with a big frown on her face.

Rin put her hands on her face and breathed deeply. Now that she was alone, she had a moment to let go of her hard persona. She began to rip off her kimono and threw it to the side. Sliding into the water, she hissed at the intensity of the heat. She rested her head on the side, staring into the water.

" _How did I allow myself to be dragged back here. And for what? Akio was doing just fine without me here. I wonder who Mai was talking about. Do I know her? And if so.. what now?"_

….

Jaken was traveling on Ah Un through the sky. It was a cloudy day, and he was having a hard time seeing the ground below him.

"We have to keep a sharp eye out for the village, Ah Un." He told the dragon. "It should be very close."

When he looked through the fog, he saw Miroku and Sango standing across from Kagome. "There!" He shouted, pointing toward the ground. Ah Un dipped down, almost bucking Jaken right off of him. He landed on the ground with a huge thud and Jaken rolled off of him. When he looked up he saw all three of them staring at him in surprise. They hadn't seen Jaken in a very long time and were confused by his arrival.

"Jaken." Sango said surprisedly. "To what do we owe this visit?"

"I have been informed that Rin is here." Jaken said, waddling over to the group.

"Why are you trying to find Rin?" Kagome asked.

"That is my business and my business alone. Now where is she?" He demanded.

"She left a few days ago. We've been trying to figure out where she went." Sango said.

"She did not tell you?" Jaken asked. Kagome and Sango shook their heads.

"Well she is probably back at the castle then." Jaken said, noting where he had last seen the girl. He shook his head at how long it had been since then.

"I don't know about that." Another voice came in. Inuyasha walked by with Azami in his arms, grabbing at his hair and pulling it. "It's not exactly the first place I would suspect she'd go."

Jaken looked at the child in Inuyasha's arms for a minute. He took note of the dog ears atop her head.

"What does that mean?" Jaken screeched. "If you know something I don't, tell me."

"Well we don't know anything for certain but she did admit that she wasn't planning on going back home." Miroku said.

"Why wouldn't she want to go back home?" Jaken asked, getting annoyed by the group already.

"Because of the shape she came here in. She had not been escorted, but she came here on her own, looking like she had been roughed up." Inuyasha answered, putting Azami down on the ground.

Jaken felt angry when Inuyasha's words finally sank in and he put the pieces together. He was infuriated to hear that the human Lord was suspected of hurting Rin.

"Why that lowly human! I'll give him a taste of my staff!" Jaken shouted angrily.

"But first we have to figure out where Rin went. I've been trying to think of places she could have possibly taken off to." Sango said. "Huyu said that there was a man, so I checked out her home and there was no sign of struggle anywhere. So she left on her own I can assume, but she took no food and left all her stuff behind too. It's been bugging me." Sango said.

Azami crawled over to Jaken, who was still very angry at hearing about Rin. She touched his feet and looked up at him, as he was the strangest creature she had ever seen. Jaken looked down at the small girl and admitted to himself that she was kind of cute for a half demon's child. Her eyes were amber, and it reminded him of her uncle, Lord Sesshomaru. It was true that they still were related, even though he would never say so.

"I will go to the castle nonetheless." Jaken said. "And teach that Akio a lesson!"

"Did Sesshomaru send you to look for her?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

Jaken thought of Sesshomaru and how he had mentioned Rin to him. He had known Jaken would go to her if he said something about her and it had happened. But it was not a direct order, so he couldn't say that Sesshomaru had.

"That is my business." Jaken said, turning on his heel to leave.

"Jaken." Inuyasha said. "I want to go with you."

This surprised the group. Kagome's eyes darted towards him.

"Are you sure Inuyasha?" She asked, approaching him.

"It won't take much time. If Rin is in trouble I have to be there. She is family." He said in return.

Kagome nodded and gingerly picked her child up off the ground, feeling uneasy about him leaving them like this. He placed a kiss on both Kagome and Azami before he turned back to Jaken.

"I don't know if I want to be traveling with a half demon." Jaken said. Inuyasha ignored him and climbed upon Ah Un. The dragon had no objections, he merely looked at Inuyasha and then back to Jaken.

"Ugh! If that is your wish, Inuyasha, just don't get in my way!" Jaken chided as he climbed back up onto the dragon. His mind was still fixated on Akio.

" _That wretched human man. I knew he was no good for Rin." His thoughts pounded him as he soared through the skies angrily._

…

Flowers lined the walls in the room that Akio and Rin had shared before this mess. She had been here for two nights and he had not come here to sleep at night, to her relief. Everybody was happy to see that the Lady of the castle had been returned unharmed, and were showering her with sympathy. She stared into a bright red flower and picked away at its petals. It was a lie. It had all been a lie yet she was to sit here and let everyone think that she was a damsel saved from distress. She picked herself up off the ground and walked over to a table, looking under it.

"There you are." She said, taking into her hands a bottle of sake. She sat on her knees and drew herself a cup to pour it into.

She heard the door creak as she poured herself a cup of sake. She put down the bottle and peered over to the door to see Ami standing there. She took notice to the fact Ami was wearing a nice kimono and that her hair was a little longer now. Rin smiled, happy to see her friend again. She stood up and made her way over to the girl, throwing her hands around her. Ami did not return the embrace.

"Ami, I was wondering where you've been these past couple of days. I've missed you."

"I've been wondering where you've been the past few months." Ami said in return, and Rin felt bad.

"I'm sorry but I could not tell you and jeopardize having my plans ruined." Rin said, with her hands returned to her sides.

Ami nodded, knowing that it was true. She would have told Akio and ruin her plans very quickly. Her love for him outweighed everything else.

"You did not come back willingly did you?" Ami asked.

"Of course not. You saw the way he acted with your own eyes. I refuse to live like that."

"Well, you still should not have run off like you did, you caused a lot of people here trouble."

Rin rolled her eyes at Ami and returned to the table where her sake was waiting for her.

"Want some?" Rin offered.

Ami shook her head. "I should not. I am not even supposed to be here speaking with you right now."

"Why not?" Rin said shaking her head. She took a sip of her drink and put the cup down.

Ami stood there like a stone staring at Rin. The girl who had everything that she herself wanted. She thought of how badly she wanted to be her and just have the things she had. Then she thought of how Rin didn't want any of it, and it made her angry.

"Nevermind. I don't want to know." Rin said, taking another sip. "I don't care for the way my husband treats you."

"I don't care for the way you treat him." Ami said. Rin looked at her intensely, a big frown coming over her face.

"What am I to do, Ami? Stick around and let him manipulate me the way he manipulates you?"

"Don't say that. He does not." Ami said in defense, her face getting red.

Rin looked into Ami's eyes as she took another sip of her sake. They were tired, and worn out. She put down her cup and sighed when she realized what was going on.

"It's you, isn't it?" Rin said. "You are the one he's taken to."

"I am happy to be his lover. Unlike you." Ami said defensively. "All you've ever done was scorn him and disobey him."

"Oh, Ami, he has his claws deep inside of you and now I will never be able to wake you up." Rin said, shaking her head.

"I am so awake." Ami said. "And I love him."

Rin sighed and took another sip of her sake, shaking her head. She thought of how horrible it was that Akio had taken advantage of Ami like that. Not only that, she was ready and willing to be taken advantage of. It made her sad to see her friend in such a position.

"Well that's your business. I will not be giving him the satisfaction of having me, so you can have him all to yourself. I hope you are very happy with the decisions you've made."

Ami's face turned red again as she turned to leave. She stomped out of the room, angry about the interaction even though she had been the one to start it. She couldn't stand the fact that Rin was back here in the castle, everything had been just fine before Akio went after her. Now she was here and although Akio had been staying with her at night, she felt like this would change very soon.

Rin downed the rest of her cup of sake before she poured herself another one. That one was soon gone as her hands lazily held the cup, her body becoming looser. She leaned back against the wall behind her and thought of carefree times when she used to run and play with Jaken at her heels. Sweet memories of Lord Sesshomaru were clouded with anger and desire. She wished she had still kept her childhood admiration of him. That unfaltering loyalty that came from deeming him perfect. But he wasn't perfect. Now that she was a woman, she could no longer see him the way that she once had. Yet there was still a very unconditional love that stirred within her for him, and she knew very well that that would never go away.

Before she knew it, she had taken down another cup of sake. Her body felt unattached to her. The kind of high one could expect from drinking so much in one setting. Rin sat cross legged on the floor and tried to think of something else when she heard the door open again. Akio entered, closing the door behind him. Rin glared viciously at him. He stood there accepting her glares for minute before moving over to the table and investigating the bottle that was nearly empty. He chuckled a bit to himself before turning to Rin.

"You are going to regret drinking that much." He said in a light tone.

"I'm just fine, thank you." She said, lying.

"I highly doubt that." He shook his head, kneeling by her. "Just look, you can't even sit up properly."

"Leave me be." She said, rising to her feet. That's when she felt it the most. Her legs felt a little wobbly, so she slightly stumbled over to the other side of the room, regaining her composure.

"I will not. I am your husband and you will give me some of your time. I traveled all that way to bring you back here, is it not clear that I am still very fond of you. "

"I've met your mistress." Rin said brashly, turning to face him. "She seems familiar."

Akio shook his head and she nodded hers in reply. "Yes, yes. Ami, huh? That poor girl is so in love with you it's sickening. You knew this, and you still went after knowing you can't give her what she wants from you."

"All Ami wants from me is my affections." Akio replied. "And who are you to speak of her? I've heard of your demon friend. It seems you cannot get your happiness from a human mate so you've chosen to cuckold me with a demon."

"Do not try to convince yourself of this. I have not done anything. It is merely your imagination. I left you not for another man, but for myself. You would like to believe that it was anything but you. But it is you. There is no forgiveness I can give to you. There is no more of me I can give. Because I do not want things to work out anymore. Change for someone else, not for me." She felt the truth being thrust from her. "Akio, there was a time where I thought I could be with you but the truth is I have never loved you. And now I hate you and I will never succumb to you. Ever. Again. "

Akio's patience had been worn down and Rin could see it, although her body would not allow her to react when he reached out for her. He grabbed her roughly by the arms and slammed her against the wall, knocking the breath out of her. She wrestled back with her arms, trying to remove him from her but she was starting to lose consciousness from the lack of air. Rin's eyes started to flutter and closed before her body went limp. Akio caught her before she hit the ground. He cursed himself before carrying her over to the futon, laying her down. He let his body hunch over as he closed his eyes and slammed his fist into the ground angrily.

"You bring out the worst in me, and yet I still want you here. I want you to stop fighting me, even though it is so clear that our time is over. Why do I bother?.."

He pulled himself up and removed himself from the room, visibly upset from his encounter with Rin. He stormed down the halls, his hair flowing behind him.

…..

Jaken was most melancholy, flying on the back of Ah Un, on his way to the village where Rin supposedly was. He thought angrily of the words that Inuyasha had said. This whole thing had been a huge mess, and it never should have happened. He thought of how careless Sesshomaru had been about leaving Rin behind with people they had just met.

" _If we had just left her in Kaede's village, none of this would have happened and she would have been just fine. But no, that life was not good enough for his precious ward. Now here I am, desperately trying to find the human girl and traveling with a half demon."_

He looked over to Inuyasha and sighed. If Sesshomaru knew that he was traveling with his half demon brother, there would surely be hell to pay. Even though they had stopped fighting each other a long time ago, Sesshomaru still thought very little of his sibling and did not want anything to do with him.

"So that child of yours is barely a demon at all, huh?" Jaken said trying to stir up somewhat of a conversation with him.

"Her fangs would suggest otherwise." Inuyasha said, showing off all the bite marks that Azami had left on his arms.

"Geesh, I knew dog demon children were wild but that looks painful." Jaken said. "I sure hope Sesshomaru does not have any anytime soon."

 _Jaken thought of what it would be like. He saw a vision of two baby dog demons, both the likeness of Sesshomaru, chomping away at his legs and arms._

The thought of it made him shudder. "I am just lucky my Lord shows no interest in females."

"What has my brother been up to lately anyways?" Inuyasha asked.

"We have just built his estate on a mountainside." Jaken said proudly. "Where he can rule properly."

"Whatever. He is so full of himself." Inuyasha said.

"I find that offensive!" Jaken screeched. _"Although it is true."_

Ah Un started to spiral down towards the ground when he saw the familiar sights of a large castle sitting in the middle of the woods. Jaken looked down and nodded his head. He braced himself for whatever was about to occur next. He did not know if Rin was here, or if she had run off on her own.

"We are here." He said, and took hold of his staff.

Ah Un landed within the walls of the village as people screamed and ran around, frightened of the huge beast that had just entered the village. The dragon lumbered his way over to the gates of the castle. There were two guards at the gate, looking up at the dragon in fear. They didn't move or anything as Jaken and Inuyasha made their way off him and approached the gates.

"Let us through, we are friends of Lady Rin!" Jaken demanded.

The two guards looked to each other and then back to the little toad demon. One of them shook his head at the other and then began to speak.

"We've been given orders not to let anyone through claiming to be!" He said, lifting his spear. "So turn back, demon! And leave us be!"

Jaken looked to Ah Un and nodded. The dragon bent down it's head and opened it's mouth, sending the guards fleeing down the path screaming. Ah Un chomped down on the gate and lifted it off the ground, chewing on it as if it were a giant bone. Jaken and Inuyasha advanced without the dragon. The toad carried his staff and Inuyasha carried his Tetsaiga. Surely there was no match for them anywhere in this place.

They came to the stairs that led to the front doors of the castle and stopped. Jaken looked over to Inuyasha and Inuyasha looked to him.

"Demons be gone!" yelled one of the guards at the top of the stairs. "You have no business here!"

"Like hell we don't." Inuyasha said aloud. "We want to see the man in charge around here and we're not leaving until we do."

The guards looked to each other confusedly and they nodded to each other before one of them took off inside. The other looked to the odd pair before him nervously. He clearly knew he could not take on either of the demons and was hoping that neither of them would try to get by him. Inuyasha could see the man's knees knocking together and held back a laugh.

"These people are pathetic, let's just go in." He said.

"Patience, half demon." Jaken replied, holding his staff gently in front of him.

Soon enough the other guard came back, holding his sword up. Many men followed him, they lined the walls and the stairs, all carryng their weapons in a defensive manner. Pretty soon they were outnumbered greatly. Inuyasha stood defensively with his Tetsaiga and Jaken held his position.

((Five minutes earlier))

Rin laid naked on her futon for a while after she had woken up. She had been there ever since the fight between her and Akio. She had let him know that she never loved him, and she feared it had made him ill, because he didn't try to come back after that. She let her mind worry about what might be next. Rin worried he might become vengeful. She put her hand over her head and lifted herself to stand up. Her hair was messy and frantic as she made her way over to the mirror and looked into her own eyes. They were hollow and had red rings around them. She turned around to look at her back and saw the blue bruises making their way up to her neck. Rin got angry then.

"I cannot accept this." She told herself.

Just then, she heard screaming outside in the village. There was a big crunching sound that came soon after. Rin ran over to the window and tried to look out but she couldn't see anything. Throwing on her kimono, she looked at herself one more time before making her way into the hallways of the castle. There were servants running around frantically. No one was stopping long enough for her to ask what the matter was. Before long, she saw a group of Akio's men heading for the front doors. She tried to get their attention as they passed by her.

"What is going on?"

"My Lady, stay back here where it's safe. There are demons about." One of the men warned.

"Demons?" She watched as the men headed outside one after the other. Her nerves were racing, she couldn't find it in herself to stay still. She began to head for the door when she felt someone's hand grab her arm and whip her around. Akio was standing there, he was seething with anger.

"This is your doing. They followed you here! You've betrayed me once again." He said, letting his fingers pierce into her arms.

"Let me go!" She screamed back at him, pulling away.

Rin shouted as she kicked at him with her feet, unable to use her arms. A few of the servants and other people that were racing about the castle had stopped and were staring at Rin and Akio in surprise.

"I never should have fallen for you. You are a miserable woman who shares her bed with demons." Akio could hardly contain himself, she could see the grief within him as a couple tears cornered his eyes. She glared back at him as he released her arms.

"Why did you then? You are the one who is miserable. Look at you!" Rin spat back. Akio cocked back his fist and hit Rin directly in the mouth, sending her flying towards the ground. Akio looked over to the servants who were staring and then back at Rin. She was on the floor, wiping blood off of her lip and trying to stand up. Rin's vision was blurry as she sat up on her knees, trying to collect herself. She wiped her face again and looked at the blood in her hands. She felt his hand yank her up by her arm and begin to head towards the door.

"What are you doing?" She managed to choke out.

"Shut up! You have spoken your last words to me. You cut me with your words and bring your demon friends to intimidate me. I loved you! Damn you, Rin, for making me the monster I've become."

The doors had opened and Akio walked forward, dragging Rin along with him. He stopped when he found the steps and let go of her, making her fall to her knees. A few of Akio's men looked at Rin in confusion and then to Akio. Looking down, Rin could see Jaken and Inuyasha looking directly at her. They looked furious.

"Well if it the little demon Jaken. So nice to see you again." Akio taunted.

"You miserable human. What have you done with Rin?" Jaken yelled, holding up his staff.

"She is none of your concern, little demon. What does it matter to you?"

Inuyasha saw the blood on Rin's face and became very angry. "Listen, you sick bastard, I don't care who you are. Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it."

"Who are you, demon? Her lover?" He said aloud before turning to Rin. He pulled her hair back viciously. "Is that it? Is it he who tore us apart?"

"My Lord, what are you doing to the Lady?" One of the men cut in concernedly.

"Silence! This wench has deceived me. She consorts with demons and brings them to destroy us! She does not deserve your empathy." He said, pulling her up to her feet by her hair.

"Don't be stupid, human! Rin is not Inuyasha's lover. Lay another finger on her and it will be the last thing you do! This ends now. Return her to us immediately." Jaken demanded.

"Master Jaken." She whispered, her heart happy to hear his voice say her name. A smile came across her bloody lips. Akio saw this and scoffed, letting go of her and looking back to Jaken and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was holding his Tetsaiga and growling. He wanted to destroy this man, but in doing so, he would also kill Rin. So he steadied his weapon. "Look, you have one minute to let go of her or I'm going to kill you where you stand."

Akio looked at Rin and a look of pain crossed his face. Negative emotions took over him as he thought about her telling him that she never loved him. He shook his head and then turned to look down at Jaken and Inuyasha. His face was red and wrinkled out of frustration. He turned to his men and nodded, and they readied themselves for whatever was about to occur next.

"You want her? " He asked, taking a step back. "Take her."

Rin's face fell and she took a step forward, not knowing what his intentions were by giving her up so easily. Before she could take another step, she felt Akio's foot on her back. It pushed her and she flew down the steps. She cried out and threw her hands over her face as she fell and tumbled all over the harsh stone steps. She felt the stones slamming against her skin as her body rolled down to the ground. She landed face down in the floor, unmoving.

"Kill the demons!" Akio ordered and his men began to attack both Jaken and Inuyasha.

Before either Jaken or Inuyasha could see if Rin was okay, they had arrows flung at them and men attacking them from different angles. Jaken frustratedly held his staff in the direction of the men advancing on him and the head of the man on his staff opened it mouth, spiting fire in their direction. The men scattered, some of them having caught fire. Inuyasha was kicking the men out of his way, trying to make his way over to Rin, who was still lying on the ground, not moving.

"Rin!" Inuyasha shouted, trying to get her attention.

Jaken let his torch burn everyone in his path, and he had cut down the numbers of the men attacking greatly. He didn't expect it when he felt his staff being kicked from his hands. Behind him was Akio, holding a huge sword in his hands. Before he could react, Akio had kicked him onto his side. He let his foot press into Jaken as he had him pinned between himself and the ground.

"Jaken!" Inuyasha called out, swinging his fist to knock one of the men aside. Before he could get to Jaken, another man had stepped in the way, swinging his sword at him. Rin was on the side coming to, when she looked over to Akio and Jaken. She pulled herself up and ran over to one of the burned men lying dead nearby, removing the sword from his side.

Akio lifted his sword slowly, pressing his foot down harder on Jaken as to make sure that he couldn't move an inch. The little demon was below him, struggling to get away. Akio began to let his sword fly down to finish Jaken off when he felt the sharp pain of cold steel running through his arm. He saw the arm that was holding the sword fly away from him, blood splattering all over the stairway. His hand rushed to his side, where his arm should be. But it was lying on the ground across from him. He was speechless as he stumbled back onto the ground and away, in shock. When he looked up he saw Rin standing over him with a sword in her hands, red and dripping with his blood. She was just a frozen in place as he was, she could not believe what she had done. Her hands were shaking.

Inuyasha saw the last few men who were there begin to lose hope and run away, and he let them. He turned over to Rin. Jaken began to stand up and looked over silently to Rin. He grabbed his staff off the ground without saying anything.

"You wouldn't kill me." Akio said, through painful groans. "You don't have it in you."

Rin was still frozen, looking at her maimed husband, and knew this was true. She couldn't kill him, even though she had every reason to. He was losing blood fast, and his eyes were starting to close as he lost consciousness. Rin heard a sharp scream coming from the top of the stairs and she was snapped out of it as she looked up. Jaken and Inuyasha also looked up to see who the scream had come from. Ami came flying down the stairs, rushing to Akio's side.

"Akio!" She threw her body over his, looking at him and then to Rin, who was still holding out the sword with her shaking hands.

"Have you finally lost it? If you kill him, you have to kill me first!" Ami screamed, her face filled with hate.

"Stupid human girl! What reason should you have to give up your life for this man?" Jaken yelled.

Ami looked to the unconscious man beneath her and held him close to her, crying aloud. "I am going to have your child, Akio. Please, Don't die on me."

A big clank sounded as the sword Rin had been holding hit the ground. Inuyasha was coming up behind Rin, and he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Rin.." He said, trying to get her attention so they could get out of there. "Rin.."

"Help!" Ami screamed as she held Akio's face up. "Someone help us!"

Rin turned and pushed Inuyasha aside and ran the other way as fast as she could in the direction of the gate. Her mind racing with guilt and shock. She had had every reason to do what she did but she didn't feel justified at all. Her peaceful nature was slipping fast from her and she couldn't handle it. She tried to ignore the dead bodies of the men around her as she closed her eyes and ran harder.

"Rin, child! Wait for us!" Jaken shouted, running after her.

" _I have to get out of here." She thought. "I have to be alone. I only bring pain to those around me. Ami.. "_

"Rin! Wait up!" Inuyasha called, looking once more to the scene in front of him as he tucked away his Tetsaiga. Ami cried aloud as a few people scattered out of the castle to scoop up Akio and run him inside of the castle. He felt bad for the woman, but turned to run after Rin.

Rin felt tears running down her cheeks as she was finally closing in near the gate to exit the castle. Relief came over her face when she saw her old friend Ah Un sitting there waiting and chewing on the remains of the opening. He looked to her and made a noise of joy, and put his head down to her level. She threw her arms around his face and snuggled him for a moment. She released him and looked into his eyes.

"There's no time, Ah Un. Let's get out of this place. Quickly." She said, jumping onto his back. The dragon spread his wings and began to fly into the air.

"Rin, what are you doing?! Wait!" Jaken screeched as he ran towards them, but it was already too late.

"Don't be an idiot! Come back down!" Inuyasha chimed in, looking up at the girl with concerned eyes.

"I'm sorry." Rin said as Ah Un flapped his wings, and darted away into the sky.

"Ah Un! Come back, you rogue! How dare you leave without us!" Jaken yelled, but it did not help at all.

"Cimb on my back, maybe I can try to follow him." Inuyasha offered.

Jaken seemed to hesitate for a moment but then grudgingly accepted Inuyasha's offer and jumped onto his back. Inuyasha jumped hastily through the town, there was a dead silence as everyone had hidden and there wasn't a single person outside anymore. He traveled at the greatest speed he could, through the woods, trying to stay on Ah Un's trail but was finding it very difficult to keep up. Ah Un took a right, and sped in the direction, throwing Inuyasha off his trail. Inuyasha tried to turn and follow, but was quickly falling behind. They were losing the trail very quickly as Ah Un was too fast for him. When he realized this, Inuyasha let jaken down off his back and sighed.

"Looks like we won't be catching up with them." Inuyasha sighed. "Dammit. Why did she take off like that?"

"She is a most unpredictable girl. How ungrateful she is to have taken off on us after we came to get her back from that horrible man." Jaken said.

"I would say she was the one that saved you from him, so who's the ingrate?" Inuyasha said matter of factly.

"Shut up, half demon!" Jaken screeched. "This is no time to tease. Why if Lord Sesshomaru were here-" He cut himself off.

" _Oh no!" Jaken thought. "I let Rin get away with Lord Sesshomaru's dragon. What will he do to me when he finds out?" The very thought of it made him shudder._

"Whatever.. let's get going. We can deal with Rin later. Let's touch base back at the village." Inuyasha said, sighing.

" _What the hell is wrong with you, Rin?" Inuyasha thought as the two demons walked through the woods._

….

The sky was turning black as night time closed in. The cold wind pierced the skin as Ah Un flew through the darkness. Rin looked at her hands that were still stained with blood. The pain all over her body was immense, but paled in comparison to the pain in her mind. She had killed once before, but the thought that she might have killed Akio, who she had once been so close to was making her feel guilt.

"I was protecting Master Jaken." She told herself, "But that does not erase the blood on my hands. Nothing will. Why must I live with blood on my hands? Why must my path be riddled with misery?"

A few tears ran down her cheek as she thought of Ami and her unborn child. "I'm sorry, but what was I to do? What should I have done?"

She wiped the tears from her face with her kimono and let her mind settle. "I cheated Death not once, but twice, and now he follows me, destroying everything in my path."

Rin swore she could hear a voice calling out her name. She blinked and looked into the dark sky. There was no one there, but she felt a presence that could not be explained. It was comforting in a way.

Ah Un took a dive into the woods below and landed on the ground. He found a nice spot to lay down and curled into a ball, looking at Rin. She smiled and kissed him tenderly on the nose before curling up to his neck and laying down.

"My old friend, how I've missed you."


	18. Underneath the Cherry Trees

(( Hey hey guys chap 18 is heeerrrre. Thank you guys so much for the good reviews and thank all of you who wished me well! I've been doing just fine, no more being sick! I hope you all had a good Halloween!

Veda Leonhart: Thank you! That is exactly the kind of impression I was trying to make with his character. Like he's obviously not a good guy, but you can still feel bad for him.

Anyways, enjoy!)

Chapter 18: Underneath the Cherry Trees

"Look out below!" Inuyasha shouted. He took a running leap off of a small cliff to the lake below, making a huge splash that sprayed Jaken. The little demon shouted and furiously wiped at this clothing.

"You didn't give me enough time to move, half demon!" Jaken yelled at him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and floated atop the water. He looked upwards towards the sky, enjoying the peaceful silence. It had been a while since he'd had a chance to relax. Azami always needed tons of attention and then there was his work and Kagome. He breathed out a big sigh. Home was only a day away and although he enjoyed the silence, he wanted to get back to his home and his family.

"You know, I have a name, Jaken." Inuyasha said.

"Of course you do. Your wicked mother had to call you something." Jaken said, very soon after feeling a branch being thrown and connecting with his head. He shrieked and rubbed his head.

"Don't call my mother that. Besides, she always told me it was my father who named me before he passed."

"Tragic that you never really got to meet him." Jaken said, in one small display of sympathy.

"Yeah, I suppose it is. I was still a baby when he died. But I don't think about it much." Inuyasha said.

"Your mother cared for you all by herself?" Jaken asked, curious to hear about Izayoi, the lover of the great dog demon. "How did she manage to do that?"

"I don't know, but she paid for it with her health. She fought hard with her family and the rest of the village to keep me there. She hoped that eventually they would accept me. But they never did. And when she died, I was cast out with no one to speak for me. I was still only a kid."

"I am sorry to hear that." Jaken said, not afraid to share a smidge of sympathy with Inuyasha, who he had spent more time with within the past few weeks. "I didn't meet you until you were already an adult, so all I really knew about you I had heard from Sesshomaru. Oh.. I don't even want to mention him right now. When I see him, I'm going to have to tell him that Rin took Ah Un. The very thought of it makes me ill."

"Why do you stick around, then?"

"I swore I would follow Lord Sesshomaru to the end a long time ago. Besides, he is a fair leader."

"HA! Sesshomaru.. fair… that's a good one."

"I thought things were all squared between the two of you." Jaken interrupted.

"Just because we have stopped fighting does not mean I've forgotten anything. You of anyone should know why we still don't really speak to one another."

"I guess so." Jaken mumbled, dropping the conversation.

Inuyasha's face dropped as he closed his eyes, floating atop the lake.

 _THUD! A loud sound woke the small boy from his sleep. He lifted his sheets over his head, frightened by the sound. The dog ears atop his head twitched as he heard the footsteps of an unfamiliar being about his home. 'Who is that?' Inuyasha asked himself, removing the sheets from his head. The four year old half demon scrambled to his knees and looked to the doorway. He could hear his mother's voice, it sounded strained and sad. Then came the voice of a man, who had no emotion in his voice. Inuyasha stood and made his way over the doorway between him and the two adults talking._

" _So it's been four years and yet no one comes to call. I find that hard to believe." The man's voice was deep._

" _Why should they, Sesshomaru? He is still too young to accept his inheritance."_

" _Do not take such a tone with me. You will show me respect."_

 _Inuyasha silently opened the blinds an inch to see the man that was talking to his mother. The man was tall as he towered over Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi. He had amber eyes and markings on his face and his attire signified that he wasn't just some ordinary man. The man resembled Inuyasha in a few ways, and the small boy took notice as he both admired and feared the figure in his home._

" _Lord Sesshomaru, It is not my intention to disrespect you. I merely want what is best for my son."_

" _Hn. That half-breed will never fit in anywhere. What is best for him is a waste of your time. You should have thought about that before consorting with my father."_

" _If only you would forget your hatred and let him into your life, you would know that this is not true."_

 _The man moved closer to Izayoi, making her take a step back. She bowed her head down submissively, tears were coming down her face._

" _I should kill you for even suggesting that I let it come anywhere near me. I am not like my father. I do not allow humans into my good graces."_

 _Inuyasha stood there behind the blinds in confusion as to what they could be talking about. Were they talking about him? And why was this man threatening his mother like that?_

" _Please, Sesshomaru, no one has come to see Inuyasha after your father's death. There have been no advances towards finding the sword you desire." Her voice cracked as her volume rose. "If you do not want to be a part of his life, please leave us be."_

 _Inuyasha saw the man's hand raise up in the air and he threw the blinds open, running to his mother defensively._

" _Mama!" Inuyasha yelled as his mother crouched down to catch him in her arms._

" _Inuyasha! You are supposed to be asleep!" His mother scolded him, holding him close to her chest._

 _Inuyasha looked up and saw the cold expression on the face of the man called Sesshomaru. There was a kind of flame behind his eyes, one of hatred and Inuyasha felt it burn into him._

" _Mama, who is the man?" a very scared Inuyasha cried._

" _Inuyasha, this is your older brother Sesshomaru." Izayoi said, hoping that Sesshomaru would show even a hint of empathy or friendliness towards the young boy._

" _Woman, make it go back to bed. It is not my wish to see it."_

 _Izayoi turned her son to face her. "Inuyasha, sweetie, I need to you to go back to bed, okay? And no matter what, do not come back out."_

" _But-" Inuyasha argued. The last thing he wanted was to leave his mother alone with the threatening man who was supposedly his brother._

" _My patience grows thin." Sesshomaru warned Izayoi._

" _Now, Inuyasha!" His mother boomed, her voice sounding desperate._

 _The young boy slowly made his way back to his door, not taking his eyes off Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's eyes pierced into the boy as they followed him to the doorway. Could this man really be his brother? And if he was his brother, why didn't he want to be near him? So many questions ran through little Inuyasha's head as he let the blinds close behind him. He placed his ear near the blinds, his curiosity and nervousness taking over._

" _The next time I have to lay my eyes on the child, I will not be so kind."_

" _Have you no pity for him?"_

" _No. You are both lucky enough that I let you live."_

" _Do you only keep us alive to ensure that that damned sword will fall into your hands?"_

" _This Sesshomaru is no coward. I will wait until the boy is old enough to defend himself and then I shall challenge him. Until then, I will continue my search for the Tetsaiga."_

" _Very well, then. I hope you do find your heart along the way."_

 _Inuyasha jumped when he heard his mother cry out. He shakily moved the blinds enough to peer into the room. There he saw Sesshomaru with his claws pulling back his mother's hair to expose her face. She looked fearful and the young boy wanted so badly to go out and defend his mother, but knew that he couldn't possibly take on such a large man. He could do nothing for her at all, and it made him angry and terrified. He clenched his teeth together, almost on the verge of tears._

" _Do not speak to me this way. I will find what is rightfully mine." He paused for a minute and let go of her, straightening himself out. "Izayoi, if I find out you are withholding information about the Tetsaiga and it's whereabouts, you will suffer."_

 _Izayoi stood there with her head lowered, not wanting to speak anymore to the vicious son of her deceased lover. She knew what he was capable of doing to her and her child, and wanted nothing but for Sesshomaru to leave them alone. Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru started to walk towards the doorway that led outside. Before he left, he looked over to the curtain that Inuyasha was hiding behind and glared, his eyes flashing red. Inuyasha gasped and pulled the blinds back in front of him, backing away from the doorway._

 _Scared, Inuyasha ran into his futon and threw the sheets over his head. Sesshomaru's piercing eyes haunted him as he cowered under his sheet. He laid there shaking for a moment before he felt someone's hand on his back. He screamed and leapt up into the air. His mother caught him in her arms and held him close._

" _Inuyasha, it's only me, sweetie. It's okay." She soothed him. "He is gone."_

" _Mama, I don't want that Sesshomaru to come back. Make him stay away. I don't want him to hurt you."_

 _Inuyasha looked up to see his mother's eyes looking desperate and sad._

" _I'm sorry, Inuyasha. There is nothing I can do about him. But your father has a plan for you and he will protect you, even in death. You just have to believe in him. He would never allow anyone to harm you, not even Sesshomaru."_

" _He will?" Inuyasha said, looking up at his mother's smiling face._

" _Of course he will. Now go to sleep, my dearest son. I will see you in the morning."_

…

Sesshomaru shot up from his sleep, holding his head. The face he had seen before he woke up was one he tried not to think of. _"Why would I dream of her?"_ He thought. The dream had been of one of the few visits he had made to the home of Izayoi, his father's lover, after his father died. He had been so angry that Inuyasha was to receive the Tetsaiga, he had chosen to believe it was a mistake and would occasionally show up to the human woman's home to interrogate her about the sword, even though she never knew where it was. At the time, it had given him pleasure to have her at his mercy. And now, it brought him no pleasure at all to remember the way he had been to her. It brought him no pleasure to remember the young face of Inuyasha, painted with fear and resentment. If anything, that feeling had been replaced with a feeling that he recognized as guilt, though he refused to believe he would ever feel bad for that miserable woman and the half demon.

He felt five dainty yet vicious claws make their way up his abdomen and he looked down at Gina, who's face was covered in her own messy black locks. It had been almost a month since he told Jaken that he had wanted to be alone in the castle. After about a week of peaceful silence, he began to crave the company of the two demoness' with which he had created a strange relationship. He had requested their presence knowing they would show up without fail. He enjoyed mating with them, whether or not it made him feel guilty, and they enjoyed it even more. He found their personalities hard to handle, but couldn't get his nose out of their necks long enough to send them away.

"Is everything alright?" Gina asked, looking up at the handsome demon with her sharp eyes.

"Why wouldn't things be alright?" He snapped back.

"You had a bad dream." She said, gently placing her finger on the markings on his forehead.

Sesshomaru slapped her hand away from his face. "Do not suggest that someone such as I gets scared."

"I never said you were scared." Gina said to him, letting her hands fall onto her stomach.

Sesshomaru smelled the air around him and pulled the sheets down, looking to his left at Hana who was sleeping very soundly on her stomach. When he had started mating with the twins, he started to further understand his father's weakness for females. There was something very addicting about being near them, and taking his pleasure with them. He used his finger to move Hana's hair aside and saw his dried blood on Hana's right fang and he felt amused. The twins were anything but delicate flowers. They left holes in his flesh, and claw marks on his chest. The holes and marks were gone within hours, but the pleasure lasted forever. There was an excitement that came with being so primal with the twins.

"She is getting skinny, we haven't eaten since we got here. We need to hunt. Do you ever hunt? You don't, do you? Is that why you are so thin?" Gina teased, biting his ear.

Sesshomaru felt a pang of desire running down his spine when she did this, but he kept his composure. "Her silence pleases me. You should follow her example."

"How dare you! You take that back." Gina laughed, running her claws down his cheek.

"This Sesshomaru will take back nothing. Now come." Sesshomaru grabbed Gina's wrist before pulling her in towards him. She kissed him, letting his fangs pierce her lips. Blood dripped from her lips onto his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let her lips find his chest- biting into his flesh. He threw his head back, enjoying the feeling of her fangs in his skin.

In one fell swoop, he turned Gina onto her hands and knees, letting his claws sink into her back. Gina howled out loudly, which excited him even further. He positioned himself behind her and looked down at the scratch marks that he had made the previous night. The red marks almost looked like spider webs on her flesh. He was pleased with himself that he had conquered such a strong demoness and he felt his body call out to him to take her again. He let his hands find her hips and growled lowly with pleasure.

…

"Is anyone in here?" Rin yelled aloud. There was a hollow cave in front of her and Ah Un was at her side, looking curiously into it. Her voice bounced off the walls and came back to her. She looked at her dragon companion and then back to the cave.

"I think this should be okay for tonight." Rin said, before walking slowly into the cave. Her leg was sore so she had a slight limp in her step. It had been a week since she had been tossed down the steps of the castle and although she had run out of there, once her adrenaline had run out, she began to feel all of the aches and pains of the fall. Ah Un put down his head, offering to carry her. The poor dragon wanted nothing but to help his human companion.

"No, Ah Un, I'm fine. Really." Rin said, shooting a fake smile his way. "I have to start using the leg if I want it to get better, right?"

When they got deeper in, the dragon settled down and rested his heads on the cold ground. He breathed out, sighing. Rin looked at him and then back out of the cave.

"You miss him, don't you?" Rin said, referring to Sesshomaru. "It's okay if you do, you don't have to join me on this trip if you don't want to. You can go home to him if you want, but promise me you won't bring him back here."

The dragon rubbed her face with one of his sadly and Rin smiled.

"Of course you can stay with me, though, for now."

 _(Four days ago)_

 _Rin could feel the scales of the dragon against her skin as she held him close to her heart._

" _There's not many places for me to go now, Ah Un. Infact, there is none I can even think of."_

 _The dragon looked at her and sighed a smoky sigh. He seemed to understand her, whether or not he actually did. She laid down and thought of how she had cut Akio with no hesitation, and how much she had let go in order to obtain such a state of mind. She had wanted to protect Jaken, who was like a father to her, but also there was the matter that Akio had hurt her so many times before that little bit of revenge had satisfied something deep and dark inside of her that she did not care for. She did not want to be happy to maim him as she did._

" _Or kill him." She thought and then shook her head. "No, don't think of such things. He must still be alive."_

 _She thought of the look on Ami's face after she found Akio. There was hatred, misery, and above all a very real fear for the life of the person she loved. "She's carrying his child." Rin hounded herself with the thought, putting her hands up to her head._

" _What kind of life will she have with or without him now that she is burdened by him?" She let her mind creep to a dark place. "What kind of life will I live now that I am a fugitive. There is no way that his men are not out there trying to look for me."_

" _And if they do find me.." Rin said aloud to Ah Un, catching him off guard. He lifted his heads to look at her. "Nevermind. I don't want to upset you. I have to lay low is all."_

" _How will you manage that?" Her mind spoke up once more, taunting her. "You might just have to disappear altogether."_

 _She nodded and looked to Ah Un. "Ah Un." She said aloud. "There is a mountain not far from here that I hear has the best fruit trees, would you like to join me?"_

 _One of the heads licked it's lips and Rin tried to smile, but her lips wouldn't let her._

" _Good boy." She said, rubbing one of the noses of the great dragon._

….

Kagome stepped outside of her home, breathing in the early morning air. A frown lined her face, it had been almost three weeks since Inuyasha had left with Jaken and she was beginning to worry about the welfare of her husband. She knelt down and hugged her knees lightly and thought of him.

"I should have gone with them. If only I didn't have so many duties here." She said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I don't know what I would do if I lost him."

She shook her head at herself. "No, don't be so pessimistic, Kagome. He will return. You know he will. And hopefully with Rin in tow." She nodded.

A loud cry sounded from the inside of her home and she sighed aloud, not ready for her daughter to be awake yet. She grudgingly stood up and began to head back inside, grumbling to herself.

"Coming, your majesty." She said to her demanding child. She smiled when she saw Azami standing in the tall crib they had made for her after she had grown out of her old one. She was a big girl, and already very strong. Kagome wondered whether Inuyasha had been a large child like Azami. She had a hard time handling her, but she loved her daughter so much she didn't care. She reached down to grab her daughter out and hummed a little tune as she let Azami onto the ground. The baby stood up on her feet and toddled around, falling often. She sighed, letting her mind wander back to darker matters.

"Inuyasha, please be okay. You can't leave me here alone. I'm not as strong as your mother was. I can't take care of Azami on my own."

"Well, you don't have to." Said a voice from behind her.

Kagome bit her lip and slowly turned around. "Inuyasha!" She cried aloud and ran over to him, holding him tight. He smiled, running his fingers through her hair as she nestled into him.

"Have a little faith in me, Kagome." Inuyasha teased as he saw tears of joy running down his wife's face.

"I do have faith in you, you jerk!" She said, wiping her eyes and pushing him gently, smiling all the while. "I just didn't imagine it would take so long for you to return."

"Well, if that unruly girl didn't take off the way she did, it wouldn't have taken us so long to get back!" Jaken piped up, standing near the door.

Inuyasha walked over to his daughter, picking her up. The baby was happy to see her dad and grabbed his ears happily, making bubbling noises. Kagome looked to Inuyasha and then to Jaken.

"What do you mean? You found Rin?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"You bet." Inuyasha said. "She was back at the castle."

Kagome saw that Rin was not anywhere to be found. "Is she still there?"

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head as his daughter pulled at his clothes and snuggled up to him.

"Rin was in quite the predicament when we arrived. When we showed up, it had become very obvious that Akio had taken Rin." Jaken started.

"She was bleeding out of her mouth." Inuyasha interrupted. "The look on her face said everything."

"So we warned them if we didn't get her back, we would use force." Jaken continued.

"And that's when he pushed her down the steps." Inuyasha said, his teeth shone with anger at remembering the situation.

"Inuyasha and I bravely fought Akio's men off, trying to retrieve the unconscious girl." Jaken said, looking to Kagome. There was a few seconds of silence between the three.

"So that's where you choose to end the story, huh?" Inuyasha teased Jaken. "Then Jaken got into a little trouble with Rin's husband. He blindsided him."

"What happened then? Why isn't Rin here with you both?" Kagome asked impatiently.

"Well, Rin came to and without hesitation, she cut off the arm of her husband to rescue Jaken."

"That's not important, that brute had it coming to him. What matters is that brat must have lost her mind because then she took off with my Lord's dragon! Now what will I tell him." Jaken whined.

Kagome stood there, taking in all this information. She shook her head. "Well I am glad that the both of you are okay. Jaken, why don't you stick around for a little bit? Might give you a little time to clear your head before returning to Sesshomaru."

"No, thank you. I will have to return promptly." He said, making a groaning sound. "Although I do fear my Lord will have my neck for this."

"Thank you for returning my husband to me." Kagome said, smiling at Jaken. "You are a good friend."

"I am not friends with humans, woman!" Jaken said, leaping out of the door without a moment to spare. He couldn't allow himself to become friends with Inuyasha or his human mate.

" _Well, it's not that much further to travel to the palace." Jaken's thoughts hounded him. "I better come up with something to say to Sesshomaru before I get there. Oh, I hope he will not be cross. Rin, why did you do this to me? Why must you always be the reason my Lord is angry with me? Why do I still care for you.. Why did you save me, you brat.." He thought, before he let go of his anger at her. She had saved him, out of love and that is what mattered. He fondly of his human girl as a child, grabbing his hands and dragging him along with her. A small smile graced his face._

…

Nervousness crawled up his soul as he made his way up the mountain, slowly but surely to the palace that belonged to his Master. Thoughts of reaching his destination haunted him. Jaken thought for sure that he had really done it this time. In his mind he knew there was going to be dire consequences for allowing the human girl steal his Lord's most prized possession, aside from his sword, his dragon Ah Un.

" _He treats that darn animal better than he treats me." Jaken thought, grumbling. "He will be furious to know that Rin has taken off with him."_

He paused when he reached the steps of the castle. The hard ivory making him cringe. He stepped up the first step and considered just leaving and never coming back. But he knew that he had made a vow to stay with Sesshomaru always. And he couldn't leave now that all of their goals were finally coming into action. The castle was finished, and soon demons all over the West and East would be coming and going, making alliances and building upon Lord Sesshomaru's empire. He would take his place as the most powerful demon in the world. Jaken nodded his head in agreeance with himself before letting another foot come down onto the next step.

"I better hurry up before I change my mind." He told himself, hobbling up the stairs at a quicker pace.

When he got to the door, he took a deep breath before putting his weight on the door, letting it open gently. He hobbled his way in, letting the door close behind him. He nervously looked around for any sign of Sesshomaru. He started to head for the throne room, looking around meekly.

"My Lord? I have returned." Jaken said, looking up and down the hall and to the empty throne that sat in the center against the wall.

"I wonder where he could be." Jaken said. "Perhaps he is up the steps."

Just then, he heard a sound coming from upstairs that startled him. It was a scream of the likes he had never heard before. He dropped his staff out of surprise. He scrambled over to the stairs and looked up them. The sound came again. It echoed off the walls, and into Jaken ears, making him even more nervous. What could possibly be making this noise? He thought it sounded female. It moaned and shouted as if it were being tortured. He contemplated going up and investigating. He looked away from the steps, poking his fingers together in thought.

"My Lord couldn't possibly be feeding on a human, he hasn't done that since we met Rin all those years ago."

Jaken looked back over to the steps and saw a woman half way down the steps, completely nude, with her long messy black hair covering her back. She had blood on her lips and she was humming to herself. He took notice of the moon on her cheek. He knew then that this woman must be a dog demon.

"Who is she?" he said out loud, before covering his own mouth.

"Huh?" Gina turned her head curiously over to the small demon before her. She cocked her head to the side, not concerned at all that all of her private parts were uncovered for the strange demon to see. She jumped over the rail of the steps and landed in front of him. He shrieked when she let her claws reach down to grab him up off the ground. She held him in front of her face, investigating him.

"What manner of beast are you and why do you trespass here?" She growled.

"Let go of me, at once, wench! It is you who is trespassing! I am Lord Sesshomaru's right hand man. Who are you?"

"Hmmm.." Gina pondered before leaning in and licking Jaken on the cheek before spitting viciously in disgust. "You're not feeding material that's for sure! What a disgusting creature you are!"

"You are one to talk! You licked me, you foul beast!" Jaken shouted, offended by the woman, but at the same time was glad she didn't want to eat him. "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?"

Just then, another enthusiastic scream echoed from the upstairs, only this time, it got louder. Gina smiled and looked to the little demon in her grasp.

"He is a little busy at the moment." She said. "If you are his servant, as you claim to be, why haven't you been here all this time we've been here?"

"That is none of your business, woman! Let me go!" Jaken was losing his patience fast with this demon.

"Speak to me like that again, little demon, and you will find that there are worse things than being eaten." Gina growled at him.

Without letting him go, she began to walk up the stairs. The closer they got to the door of Lord Sesshomaru's chambers, the clearer the noises became. Jaken wriggled and struggled to release himself from the nude woman's grasp but she held him tight with her claws. The screaming had stopped a few moments before Gina reached the door. She paused for a minute before she pushed it open.

Jaken looked up to see just what kind of creature had been doing all of that horrible shouting. He saw his Lord looking tired with his naked body sitting up in his large bed with a single sheet covering his waist. Next to him was a female that was the same exact likeness of the one that had him locked in her grasp. He did a double take of the two women. The demon in bed covered herself with the sheet and looked to both Gina and the little demon she had in her grasp.

"I found this thing about your home, claiming to be a servant of yours." Gina said, holding out her arm and dropping Jaken on the floor. Sesshomaru looked over annoyedly, not liking such a sudden interruption after finishing up with Hana.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please don't let this demoness manhandle me so." Jaken shouted.

"Is it food?" Hana asked, looking curiously at Sesshomaru.

" _Will they think of nothing else?" Sesshomaru thought, looking over to Hana. Was he the only dog demon who didn't try to eat anything and everything in his path?_

"Depends." Sesshomaru said, turning to Jaken. "Jaken. You were gone for a very long time. What, pray tell, were you doing all this time?"

"My Lord, I want to tell you but first I must know what is going on here and who are these females?"

Sesshomaru looked over to Gina and Hana and then back to Jaken. "This is Gina and Hana. Dog demons of the East. They are the daughters of Monomaru."

"And they are here why?" Jaken mumbled, already knowing the answer to his question. He was too shocked to see that Sesshomaru was around females at all, much less mating with them. He often voiced his disgust with women, so Jaken never thought he'd find Sesshomaru in this position.

"Are you daft, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked the little demon, with a cold stare on his face. "I will meet you downstairs so I may dress."

Jaken nodded his head, still in disbelief that Sesshomaru had chosen to mate with such bloodthirsty creatures, much less anybody. Gina laughed out loud and said something to Hana that Jaken did not understand. Jaken slowly headed out of the room, leaving the dog demons behind. Sesshomaru sighed and rose from the bed, letting his claws pull his robes over him. The girls did the same, laughing and speaking to each other in their native tongue as they put their kimonos on over their small yet curvaceous bodies.

"Sesshomaru, you keep company with that ugly little demon?" Gina teased.

Sesshomaru didn't answer as he tucked his sword away in his belt. The girls tied each other's obi and Hana held her stomach, almost as if in pain. She said some to Gina that he didn't understand. Gina nodded to her sister. Sesshomaru tried not to pay attention to the two girls. He did not want them to think he was interested in what they were saying to each other. Gina turned to Sesshomaru, smiling.

"We must take our leave." Gina said.

"We've been away from our home too long." Hana added.

"Very well." Sesshomaru said, not turning his head to look at them.

He felt the two demonesses surround him and stayed very still, they rubbed noses with him in one last display of affection before heading over to the window. He watched as both of them leapt out of the window and began to fly into the sky, like dangerous black clouds. For a moment, he thought that maybe he could get used to seeing them. But he shook his head and left his room, beginning to head down the stairs.

When he found Jaken the small demon was pacing back and forth in the throne room. He knew the little demon was troubled and watched him pace back and forth for a moment before realizing he had entered.

"OH! Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't see you there. I am glad to see you are enjoying the company of female demons, my Lord. You old dog, you. Not only that, you managed to get not one, but two! How many men would love to be in your position. Though I must say, they are ferocious beings. Nothing you can't handle, of course, my Lord. I didn't know what to think of the noises when I showed up. That demon woman does make quite a fuss, you would think she was being killed the way she shouted and carried on. Not that that's bad, my-"

"Where is Ah Un?" Sesshomaru interrupted, making Jaken jump. "He is not outside."

"OH! My Lord, um, yes! Ah Un, right. Well you see, it's a long story." Jaken stammered.

Sesshomaru became annoyed as he watched Jaken try to beat around the bush. "How does one manage to lose a dragon of Ah Un's stature?"

"Well, he's a very smart dragon, my Lord, but that's beside the fact. What happened was um.. you see, well… Rin stole him." Jaken said, not wanting to hesitate any longer. He cringed, waiting for Sesshomaru to lash out at him.

Sesshomaru teeth clenched at the mention of her name. His hands turned into fists at his sides. He was seething at the new information. How could Jaken possibly allow Rin to take off with Ah Un?

"My Lord! Don't be angry with me. He willingly took off with her. You see, when I went to the village to see her and she wasn't there because her husband had come back for her. So I went to the castle and that's when things got a little out of hand."

When Sesshomaru heard that he dropped his angry composure. He walked over to the throne that sat in the room and dropped down onto it, holding his head, annoyed.

"Continue." He ordered, preparing himself for the rest of the story, knowing it was going to make him angry, but did his best to keep his composure.

"Well, you see, when I got there, how do I say it? It was obvious that Rin had been there against her will. So Inuyasha and I demanded that she be returned to us and-"

"You've been with that despicable half brother of mine.." Sesshomaru interrupted angrily but then digressed, wanting to hear more. "What do you mean "against her will?"

"Well, she was bleeding when we got there and Inuyasha had mentioned seeing her face sullied by him before. If not to add insult to injury, when we asked that she be returned to us, he kicked her down the steps of the castle. To see her treated in such a way caused me great anger. So I fought off his men and.."

Sesshomaru rose, making Jaken jump.

"How was I not made aware of this?" Sesshomaru said. "Why did you choose to join my brother instead of coming to me?"

"Forgive me, my Lord." He said, bowing profusely. "I thought you made it very clear that she was no longer your problem."

Sesshomaru swung his fist backwards, making a small crack in the wall and growled. Jaken shuddered. He knew that Sesshomaru would not react well to the news, but he didn't know just how bad he would react. The dog demon lord took a few steps forward toward Jaken.

"This Sesshomaru is displeased. If you wish to fight battles with my half-demon brother, go do so. You obviously no longer wish to serve me."

"No, my Lord, it was not my intention to offend you. I did not want to go with Inuyasha, but he insisted. I needed the extra hands to help me find Rin, too. Please, you must continue to let me be at your side."

"Did the human Lord survive?" Sesshomaru asked, looking away.

"It's not very likely, my Lord. Rin cut him pretty bad. He bled out quite a bit."

" _Rin? She is the one that cut him down?" Sesshomaru thought._

"And that's when she lost it and ran away with Ah Un, my Lord. We tried to go after her but Ah Un is very quick."

Sesshomaru lightly kicked Jaken out of the way as he walked by him. "You both are pathetic. You can't even handle one human girl. I will go and get back what is mine, and you will stay here and wait for my return. I will decide what to do with you then."

"Yes, my Lord." Jaken said, somberly.

The dog demon started to make his way to the door before Jaken spoke once more. "My Lord?"

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and waited for Jaken to speak.

"Are you leaving me here with those vicious females?"

Sesshomaru did not answer that they had already left. He walked to the outside of the castle and looked to the sky angrily, before transforming. His teeth grew large and his tail swished violently. He howled into the air, and the sound was so loud it echoed throughout the land. He stood for a minute before barreling into the sky.

" _How did I not know about this? How could things have gotten this out of line? I must fix things once again. Rin.. I never thought you could possibly keep something like that from me. But then again I am the one that pushed her away and kept my distance. I dropped her into a human world with little to no knowledge on how to exist with the others. She has traveled with demons for so long that there is nothing else that she really knows. How could she have been expected to live a normal life with people? I am angered to not have been the one to sever that man's head from his miserable body."_

…..

A cold chill ran down the back of Rin as the cold water crashed down on her body. She was standing under a small waterfall washing herself off. Ah Un was at the side of the water, resting while she bathed. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to rinse out all of the dirt from her travels. A chatter came from her teeth as she did so. The water was so cold, but she didn't have much else to bathe in on the side of a mountain like this. She removed herself from the water and ran over to Ah Un, grabbing the clothes that she had laid on top of him, throwing them on.

"S-s-s-sooo cold." She complained, holding the dragon close to her heart. She could feel his warmth coming from him.

Just then, the dragon looked up as if he had heard something. He looked to Rin, almost as if in hesitation. He cocked back both of his heads and tipped them up towards the sky, and began to screech for a minute or so. Rin watched his odd display in amusement. She shook her head and hugged one of his necks.

"What was that all about, Ah Un? You are silly. Come on, the top of the mountain is only a few minutes away. When we get there, we can relax and eat something." She said, rubbing his neck gently.

The dragon looked to her and stood up, pulling her on top of him. He looked again to the sky and then began to fly up the side of the mountain. Rin whipped her hair back and forth to get all the wet strands dry. Her hair was wavy and messy and longer than ever. She cursed it for being so long now, as it got in the way often. She saw the top of the mountain approaching fast and felt her smile turn into a frown as she looked down. The ground was far away from her now, and she felt so unattached from reality when she saw it now. She shook her head and looked up as Ah Un drew closer to the top.

When they got there, Rin slid off of Ah Un. It was beautiful on the top of the mountain. Flowers had bloomed everywhere and there was a collection of trees with different looking delicacies hanging from them. She remembered coming here as a child with Sesshomaru and Jaken and she wondered if Ah Un recognized where they were too. But he never spoke, so she could never truly know what he was thinking. Although Sesshomaru always seemed to know what he needed, or where he was. It was as if they communicated on a different level.

" _My lord! So many fruit trees! We must stop here!" a young Rin shouted as she ran towards a big one. Sesshomaru was leading Ah Un by his reigns at the time, and he let go of them, opting to sit by the edge of the cliff to watch the sun. One of Ah Un's heads lifted Rin up to pick some cherries. She smiled happily as she ate a couple and then looked down at him._

" _Do you want a few cherries, Ah Un?" Rin offered._

" _Stupid child!" Jaken chided. "Ah Un is a dragon. He eats meat. He is not interested in your silly human food!"_

 _Rin was already dangling a few cherries by Ah Un's mouths and they both took a bite of the tiny cherries. Their pupils dilated and they began to take full branches off the tree, plucking off the cherries and eating them, chewing on the branches. Rin laughed at how silly they looked._

" _It would seem you are wrong Jaken, he seems to like them very much." Rin said holding on to Ah Un's neck, trying not to be thrown from him._

Rin smiled at the memory as she seeked out the cherry tree. When she found it, she began to climb it. She hung onto the branches as she tried to use her sore leg to climb. She let out a cry of pain as she lifted herself into the tree and sat on a branch. She plucked a cherry and tossed it to Ah Un. He caught it with his mouth and seemed to recognize eating these before, because he started to nibble gently at the tree, eating the leaves as well.

"Ah Un, what would the other dragons think of you?" Rin teased him. "Eating plants like some common vegetarian and traveling with a human. You big softy."

She took a big cherry and plopped it in her mouth, eating the flesh of the cherry and spitting out the seed, sending it flying to the ground. She ate a few more, and smiled at finally having something sweet in her mouth or the first time in a little while. She laid there in the tree for an hour, while Ah Un chewed away at a cherry tree branch. Rin felt her eyes becoming droopy, and she considered sleeping. The wind started to pick up and she shivered, looking over to Ah Un.

"So cold all of a sudden."

The dragon lifted his head and began to make the shrieking sound again and Rin was not as amused this time to see it.

"What are you doing, Ah Un? Stop that." She scolded the dragon.

The dragon stopped as the wind began to pick up more. Rin felt that something was coming, and the pieces were starting to come together. It seemed as if Ah Un was calling out to someone- and Rin knew who it was. She climbed down the tree quickly, letting herself fall to the ground on both of her legs. Her sore leg throbbed when she landed. She groaned aloud as she held her leg. After a moment, she stood straight, shooting the dragon a sad look.

"Ah Un!" Rin shouted, displeased with him. She leaned her hand against the tree, knowing her bad leg wouldn't take her far enough to avoid a confrontation. Rin stood still as her hair whipped around furiously. The wind dropped to a light breeze all of a sudden and her hair fell messily about her face and back. She heard the sound of feet a ways behind her, walking closer. She didn't want to turn. The last time they had seen each other she had intended to have some closure but things had gotten so heavy, she fought with him instead. And she had said the worst thing she could possibly say to him, and she knew he was not capable of forgetting such a moment.

Sesshomaru stood far behind Rin, watching her messy hair wave back and forth with the light breeze. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find any words to say. The last time they had seen each other, he had taken off, furious at her words. She had cursed the day that he had revived her as a child, and he wasn't able to hide the hurt that he had felt when she said it. _"Why does she not turn? Does she really resent me so much?" He thought._

Rin couldn't take it any longer, she turned and locked eyes with Sesshomaru. The silence only deepened after then. The fact he never changed or aged weighed on her heavily, there had been so much time between when she first met him and she had changed so much, that the lack of change in him was something that burned her. She would only continue to age, and he would stay beautiful and young indefinitely.

When Sesshomaru saw Rin's face, he managed to keep a straight face but he became angry. There was a cut on her lip and her skin around it was blue. He could see bruises up and down her arms and it brought him back to when he had first met the little girl, before she spoke. She had clearly been beaten but he had no idea how or why someone would have a reason to harm such a small girl. He had asked her how she obtained them and she just.. smiled at him. But this time, there was no smiling. Her face was hard and stoic, and mature.

"Sesshomaru, you've come to retrieve Ah Un." She said, breaking the silence.

"You knew I would come for him, did you not?" He replied.

"I suppose I should have. He really is a good traveling partner." Rin said, brushing back her hair with her fingers. "You must have heard what happened."

"I've heard all I need to know and seen all I need to see. I don't know if I should be offended you didn't tell me yourself when you had the chance."

"Oh, these?" She said, touching the bruises on her mouth. "Why should you care? Jaken is the one who came for me. Him and that brother you hate so much. But I am the one who severed his arm from him- I am the one who protected them. I will continue to fight my own battles. Not that you should care."

"Do not taunt me, Rin. You know very well I want nothing but your safety. That human man was supposed to care for you.."

"I take care of myself, Sesshomaru. All this time, I have been taking care of myself. Don't you see that?"

"Stealing like a common thief is not caring for yourself." Sesshomaru retorted, making Rin angry. Her eyes threw daggers into him.

"Stealing? Ah Un willingly left with me, I did not steal him. He is not some nameless property, he is his own being." Rin argued.

"He wanted me to find him because he knows who his true Master is."

"Have it your way, then." Rin said, throwing her hand up to the sky angrily. "If I am a common thief, I demand you treat me like one and end my life."

Sesshomaru stood there, unmoved but pensive. He did not want to have an argument with Rin right now when she was still so banged up like this, but she seemed determined to let him know exactly how she was feeling. He could hear the strain in her words. He did not know what to think or do about it.

"Exactly what I thought." She started, leaning up against the tree to rest her sore leg. "You will treat me only with silence. You only care enough about me to keep me alive and for what? My life was over long ago. Take Ah Un and leave me alone."

Rin felt two large hands grasp her shoulders, and pull her in. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru with his teeth clenched, holding her to his body. He was clearly very angry, but his hold was gentle.

"I will not be told what I do and do not care for." He said, "Do not use such horrid words against me. Take them back. "

Rin was surprised to see this kind of reaction coming from Sesshomaru. He usually did not let his feelings come out like this. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw that he was weakened by her harsh words. But she did not want to let go of her grudge so easily. It had been way too long for her to give up this easily.

"I will take nothing back unless you let me know your true feelings about me. I do not have forever."

Sesshomaru let his hands find Rin's face, holding either side gently. His face unwrinkled and he seemed to struggle for a minute. He looked into her eyes and down to her lips. He did not care how mangled and bruised she was. She was lovely to him and nothing could change that. He let his lips find hers, wrapping his arm around her waist as they crashed against the cherry tree together. Rin could barely feel her body anymore as she fell deeply into the kiss. She had intended to fight him off, to tell him 'no' and walk away. But as soon as their lips met she could think of nothing but him and how she wanted this moment to last forever.

When the kiss broke, they stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes. Rin couldn't believe how much she still loved Sesshomaru, and wanted him. He felt his body calling out to him and hesitated. But there was little room in his mind to think about the consequences now. He was a great demon Lord, and he would have what he wanted. Sesshomaru reached around Rin, cutting at her obi with his claws. He took a step back, watching as Rin's kimono fell off of her body. She blushed and covered herself with her hands, ashamed at how black and blue and cut her body was from her fall. He looked over her body, and although the bruises and cuts made him angry, her body still made him growl low in anticipation.

"Will you have me like this?" Rin asked, her body burning from the wait. She had wanted this for so long, now that she was here, there was a hesitation about her. She had to have him, but the act itself was intimidating.

"Yes.." He whispered into her ear, moving her hands so they could no longer hide her flesh from him. He wanted to see every inch of her, damaged or not. Rin gasped as he took the back of her hair into his hands, gently pulling her head backwards as he let his lips find her neck. He breathed in her scent, and knew he had to have her right here and now. He pulled at his own robes, letting them fall to his feet.

Rin stared at him in amazement. She had never seen him without his clothing on before and it was everything she though it would be; he was a great beauty to behold. His skin was ivory and his abs were chizzled, yet thin. She wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his chest. He let out a small sigh and his hair whipped to one side. He lifted her up in his arms and found a nice spot in the grass, laying her body down. He descended on top of her, kissing her breasts and stomach. He was as gentle as he could possibly be as she was human, and he did not want to injure her. He began to make his way in between her legs, letting his body find what it wanted. When he found it, he let out a growl as he became one with Rin. She cried out in pleasure and he continued, her enjoyment arousing him further.

Passion took over as they made love underneath the cherry trees. They stayed in this motion for hours until the sun went down.

When they were done, Rin laid her head on Sesshomaru's chest, breathing heavily. He had been as gentle as possible, but she was still exhausted.

"That was everything I'd ever hoped it would be." She said, running a finger down his cheek. A guiltiness crept into the mind of Sesshomaru. He laid there with Rin's head on his chest. He thought of how he had sworn he would never love a human woman, but he did. It was clear as day or he would not have done what he just did. He moved to sit up, and Rin did the same. When she saw his face, she could tell exactly what he was thinking, so she said nothing, she reached over to cover herself with her kimono. Holding it to her chest, she waited for him to say something. Anything.

"I have become my father." Sesshomaru said, looking at his hands. Rin cupped his hands with hers, in a comforting motion.

"That's not such a bad thing. He was a great demon and he left behind a legacy." Rin said.

"He left behind much more than that." He said, thinking of Izayoi and Inuyasha. "I condemned his actions. And now I repeat them."

Rin nodded, letting the moment of bliss slip through her mind and back to reality, where things were not that simple. She knew there were many risks associated with human/demon relationships. She ran her fingers through her hair, hoping he would not leave right away.

"Well if you do not want to stay here with me, I will understand. This was all I could really have wanted from you." She said, her voice cracking as she held back a couple tears.

She felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her into an embrace. Sesshomaru buried his nose in her hair, hoping that he could hold onto this smell forever. He did not know what the future would hold for them, but he knew that he would no longer be able to hide his feelings for Rin. Now that he had been with her, he knew he could not possibly live without her by his side.

"If this is my fate, so be it. I cannot deny myself what I want any longer. I want you to come with me to my castle." He said boldly.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, I don't know." Rin said hesitantly. "I want to come with you more than anything."

"Then do so." He said, pulling her into a kiss. Rin sighed heavily, as she reluctantly nodded her head.

"I will come with you. But I will not stay." Rin warned. "There are still many things I have yet to do. Your mission may be closing in, but mine is not over yet."

Sesshomaru paused for a moment, thinking about what she could possibly be referring to, and then nodded, pulling her into another kiss. He was careful not to let his fangs pierce her skin. He looked at her face, her cheeks were still a rosy red from their time together. She leaned into him and breathed out letting him wrap his arms around her protectively, as if nothing in the world could take her away from him.

" _Our problem is one of time. You have so much more than I. But I love you so much.. Let me enjoy you for now." Rin thought as the two looked on into the night stars._


	19. C19: Rin's Request

(( Chap 19 here! Woot! Mostly dialogue but I'll have more action soon! Thanks guys!))

Chapter 19 : Rin's request

A cold draft drifted in through the window of the human Lord's chamber. On the futon laid a man with his eyes closed, with two people sitting to his side, an elderly man and a young woman. On his right side, there was a space where an arm should have been. His shoulder was stitched up tight but it still look rather red and mangled as it was still healing. The young woman, Ami's head was low out of sorrow, she looked unkempt as if she had been sitting in that spot for days without moving.

"So there's been no sighting of her yet? My men have been searching but they come up empty. Pathetic fools, all of them." Akio said.

"Akio, it has been a couple weeks and you improve everyday, why don't you try to go outside for a little while?" the elderly man, Lord Eito suggested.

"Why should I do that?" Akio answered painfully. "So people can make a spectacle of me?"

"You are lucky enough to be alive, my son, take this opportunity to go out and smell the flowers and renew your energy. You have been rescued from death yet again. The doctor slaved over you for days. Are you not happy to have survived?"

"He should have let me die."

Ami started to cry, shaking her head as she lifted her hands to her face.

"Don't say that, my son. You have been given another chance at life. You could choose to be positive and move on with your life."

"I am not going outside until I am fully healed and able to go without assistance. Then I will find Rin and make her pay for what she's done." Akio said, with a final tone.

"Very well, my son. I do wish you would forget about her, though. You are the one who started the battle. You can be happy if you just move on from this."

"Don't tell me this while I am sitting here with my arm gone. I am not okay. The way you speak it would seem you are fond of the woman who maimed your son."

He looked over to Ami who was still crying and became angry, slamming his fist down on the floor.

"I am going to go insane if I have to listen to any more of this woman's miserable crying! She's been at it all day!"

Ami tried to stifle her crying, but his outburst only made her more upset. She choked back her tears.

"Akio, she cries because she cares for you."

"Yeah, well maybe she shouldn't."

"I do." She cried. "I don't care if you've been injured, I love you."

"Yes, yes.." Akio said, running his hand over his forehead, in an attempt to try and calm himself. "If you love me, you may show me through your silence."

Ami felt hurt by his words, but considered that he was just still very upset from being injured, and needed time. She nodded her head and regained her composure. Akio looked to her and then back to his father.

"Is that how you will treat her in her condition? Aren't you the least bit happy that she is going to have your child?"

Akio glared at his father. "I will treat her as I please, she belongs to me and it is none of your business how I feel about her having a child. Leave me if it is your wish to interrogate me."

Lord Eito shook his head and rose, placing a reassuring hand on Ami's shoulder. She looked up at the old man and he gave her a smile before making his way out of the room. To hear Akio refer to her still as nothing more than a possession made her feel insecure, and without worth. But she refused to believe that that was how he really felt.

"That old man of mine never gives up. That is why he is still alive in his old age." Akio said, using his left arm to help him sit up. Ami went to help him and he gave her a look, causing her to stop and sink away from him. "I will not have you about me like that. I do not need your assistance."

Ami nodded, allowing him to adjust himself without aid. She wanted for him to accept her help so badly, but every time she tried he would scold her.

"How can you stand to look at me?" He asked rhetorically, looking at his stitched shoulder. Akio let his hand find Ami's face, and caressed her cheek, which was red and hot from crying.

"Do not trust my father. He does not want what's best for you. Only I do." Akio said possessively. Ami nodded hesitantly, not wanting to believe that the nice old man she'd known for so long wouldn't care about her. But Akio slithered like a snake into her mind, making her trust him above all.

"You know that I am pleased that you will have my child, are you not?" He asked her, changing his tone. He placed his hand on Ami's stomach.

She let out a small smile, and nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Good. I am glad I never gave a child to that horrid woman. You, my loyal girl, will be the mother of my children." Akio let his hand grasp her chin, pulling her in to kiss him. Ami was blindly flattered and let herself fall into the kiss. Her best sense left behind, she wanted nothing but for Akio to get well and not dwell on his injury. But something in her told her that this wasn't it. He wasn't going to just move on without seeking revenge.

….

Rin woke up and rubbed her head, still drowsy from a lack of sleep when she was on the road with Ah Un. She slunk back into the silk sheets that surrounded her and looked to her left. Sesshomaru was next to her, in his bare skin. She admired his beauty, and smiled wondering how she possibly got to this point. He was now her lover and she was with him in his bed, and she had waited so long for it to happen that she could hardly believe it. She touched his face to see if it was real, or if this had all been a dream. His face wrinkled at her touch and she smiled, taking her hand back. His eyes slowly opened, looking at her silently. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in to him, closing his eyes again. She let out a big "ooph" at the weight of him being pressed against her and smiled.

"If I were smart I'd take my stuff and leave right now." She said, watching him open his eyes, his amber hues zeroing in on her face curiously. "But I don't have any stuff, and I'm not that smart."

She felt his hand run up her neck and to her face, carefully rubbing her cheek with a finger, trying to avoid running his claws against her skin.

"Unwise choices have been made between the both of us, but that does not make you unwise. You have always been wise beyond your years." Sesshomaru said.

Rin paused for a moment and wrapped her arms around him, letting her head rest upon his chest. "Sesshomaru, have you always loved me?"

Sesshomaru felt something strange when she asked this. He didn't like it. "Don't ask silly questions."

"Sorry." Rin sighed, knowing it was too much to ask him to open up.

Sesshomaru looked down at Rin's head and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, If you really want to know, when I revived you, I was intrigued by the way you didn't fear me. It was amusing that you followed me, and I thought you would eventually stop or I would choose to send you away. But you never went away, and I grew accustom to your innocence and your joyful ways. You were obedient, yet self-sufficient which made it easy to have you around. Overtime, you became important in a way I couldn't describe. Only when you grew up did my feelings for you begin to evolve into a different form of fondness. I cannot tell you how long I've felt this way, because I did not know what love was before you."

Rin couldn't help it, she threw herself at him, letting their lips meet. He caught her shoulders and kissed her back. He couldn't believe how he had opened up like that. He was going against everything he had ever done in the past. Sesshomaru looked at Rin and thought how tragic it was that the woman he should fall for would be human. He couldn't keep her forever, and it made his heart sore. But he shook it off, thinking he had plenty of time before he had to think about it. When their lips parted, Rin let her self fall onto her back and sighed before looking to her left at Sesshomaru.

"What do you suppose Jaken will think of all this?"

"I don't care how he feels about it. I suppose he will not be happy about it, but neither will anyone else."

"I'd like to believe that some people would be happy about it, but I don't know for sure.

Rin thought of Inuyasha, and her other friends back in the village and sighed. She worried that Akio's men might try to look for her in the village and cause a ruckus, so she was decided that she couldn't show her face there without any issues. But she also knew that Miroku and Inuyasha would be able to fight them off. There weren't too many of them left, anyways. Jaken had killed off quite a few of them before he was intercepted by Akio. She sat there and worried herself until she felt Sesshomaru's arms pull her into him. His warmth radiated off of him as she snuggled in closer to him.

"All my prized possessions are in the village, but I can't possibly go back there. I've hurt my friends too much. I bring them nothing but trouble."

Sesshomaru watched as Rin withdrew into the sheets and turn away from him to hide her depressed state. He turned onto his back and looked into the ceiling.

…..

It was a foggy dreary night and a big gateway stood before the large gothic home of the Eastern dog demons. Three figures were coming from a distance, two pairs of tiny sandals clicking could be heard as well as the heavy, lumbered stumbling of a pair of bigger feet. When the figures came into view, there were twins to either side of a large man. They smiled at each other and to him as he threw his arms around the two of them, in a rough motion. He was dirty and had a topknot, and was clearly human. The man stumbled and the girls let him balance on them as they all walked forward. It was clear that the man was intoxicated. The girls giggled at the man flirtingly.

"We are getting close to our home. We hope you join us." Gina said to the man, smiling.

"Yes, we want to show you something." Hana said, running her fingers up the man's chest.

"Well, I didn't come all this way for tea, did I?" The man slurred and then laughed. "What luck, you two are the most gorgeous pair I've ever laid eyes on."

"You are too sweet. Surely, a man as charming as you must be married already." Hana giggled.

"Let's not talk about my wife." The man said, grabbing at Gina's bottom. "Let's talk about you."

Gina clenched her teeth, holding back her disgust at the man's drunken boldness. They had just made it past the gate and their large home was now in view.

"This building.." the man said. "It belongs to you?"

"It belongs to us."

"Beautiful and rich. What luck."

The twins smiled at each other as they led the man into their home. They made their way through the halls when they passed the giant skull of the cat demon on display.

"What the hell is THAT?!" The human man shouted, leaving the girls and stumbling close up to look at it. When he realized what it was, he turned around slowly. "Who are you, really?"

Gina smiled, taking a step closer to the man, letting her fangs show. The man took a step backwards and fell in his drunken stupor. Hana grabbed at his leg and pulled him towards them, making the man scream out. Gina pounced on the man, straddling him. She took his arms, pinning them to either side of him. He cried out, her hold crushing him. Hana came to her side and joined in, letting her claws slide across the man's face, making him bleed.

"I'm very hungry, Gina. Maybe we can skip this part." Hana said, holding her stomach.

Gina let go of the man and they started to rip him apart with their claws and fangs. The screams coming out of the man were animalistic, but they ended only after a minute. The girls fed on the man until there nothing left of him.

Hana laid down on her back on the cold stone after, relieved and holding her stomach. Gina was sitting up across from her, a smile on her face.

"That was good, although I wish that man bathed more often. He was rather dirty." Gina said.

"You're too picky." Hana replied. "Besides, it was way too long since our last meal. I would've eaten anything."

There was a long silence between the girls as they sat there.

"Why don't we go to bed, Hana? You need your rest." Gina said, extending a hand to her sister.

…

"You're sorry?!" Jaken screeched.

He was standing in a room across from Rin, who was sitting at his level. She was smiling at him as he fumed, pacing back and forth. He looked to her and she shrugged at him. She had already apologized for taking off on him like she did and wanted to square things with him.

"If you think you can just smile at me and I'll just forgive you, just you wait, girl. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru was not so forgiving. He nearly took my head when I told him what you did!" He yelled.

"I have taken the blame for all of it. Everything."

"As you should!"

Rin sighed. Jaken was pretty worked up. She watched as he paced back and forth.

"So are you going to say thanks to me for saving you?" She teased, knowing it would make him furious.

"I had that handled! I didn't need you to help me! I don't need humans helping me with anything."

Rin nodded, giggling under her breath. Jaken could put on such a front.

"Are you laughing? This is not a laughing matter, Rin."

Rin coughed, trying to get herself to stop. "Of course. Of course. Jaken I have something.."

"Don't try to change the subject! I'm not done speaking with you yet."

"Jaken…" Rin sighed.

"And another thing!" He started before he felt Rin's hands pulling him.

"Jaken, I'm trying to tell you something important." Rin let go of Jaken when she had his attention. He ripped her hands off of him and looked at her with a stink eye.

Rin sighed. "Jaken, you are very important and I thought you should be the first one to know."

"Know what?"

"I have decided to be with Sesshomaru."

He had barely payed attention, and continued to lecture. "Rin, haven't you learned anything from following him in the past? "

"I'm not going to follow him, I'm going to be with him." Rin said, trying to make her point clear.

A silence fell over Jaken. He looked at Rin with a hard look in his eyes, as if he was watching her hurt herself. "And the two of you have agreed upon this arrangement?"

"Yes." Rin said, watching his reactions. "We can't hide how we truly feel anymore."

"So that's why he was so eager to push you away years ago." Jaken said, finally understanding. "I hope you know what you are doing."

Jaken stood up and walked away from Rin. She worriedly stood up and began to follow him.

"So we have your support?" She called after him.

He turned, and she halted. "I will always follow Sesshomaru no matter what his decision. And I am bound to you by reasons I don't even fully understand. If the both of you want to be together, then so be it. But you need to understand that the both of you are not going to receive acceptance from the human world or the demon world. You will be together, but you will be very alone."

A single tear made its way down Rin's cheek as his words sunk in. She already knew it, but hearing it from Jaken made it so much more real for her. She remembered Kaede telling her that her life with Sesshomaru would not be easy, but at the time she was too young to really understand exactly what she meant. She reached down to embrace Jaken and he didn't fight back or yell at her to get off of him as he would normally do.

Jaken was still in disbelief as he walked down the hall and out the door. Rin stood in silence, her hands folded by her mouth in thought.

"I know they all say that we are doomed, but maybe we can do this better than his father and Izayoi. Maybe we can be the ones to close the gap between the human and demon world."

Rin walked through the empty halls and admired the large ivory pillars that lined the walls. She made her way up the steps of the castle, her long hair flowing behind her. She opened the door to Sesshomaru's chambers and threw herself into his bed, hugging the silk sheets to her chest. Rin breathed in the scent and the warmth that Sesshomaru had left behind in the sheets.

…

Sesshomaru landed on the ground with a thud, looking on to the small village that lay before him. He breathed out, knowing it was unlike him to show up here on such an errand. He had not told Rin, but he was coming to the village to retrieve what belonged to her. Sesshomaru knew that she would not return herself to retrieve what she wanted from her old home. He saw the small home of his brother and Kagome as he walked through the village, not looking at any of the people who recognized him, and looked upon him with both fear and astonishment. The villagers did not see him often, but they knew that he would not be harming any of them. He stopped when he found the home that used to belong to Kaede. He had heard that the old woman had died a while ago and he thought of the fragility of humans. Year by year, Rin would age, and he didn't want her to because he wanted her to live, but it was going to happen. He shook his head, trying to shake off the thought.

He opened the door, and looked inside of the home before entering. There were cobwebs everywhere and dust lined the floor. His face remained the same as he dragged his finger across a table, Flicking the dirt off his finger after. It was clear that no one had really been here since Rin left. He saw a small crib in the corner and remembered seeing her care for his brother's child before. To be in a place where she existed happily gave him a strange feeling. It was happy, but at the same time very sad. He found a box in the corner of the room and picked it up, blowing some dust off of it before opening it slowly. Inside he saw all of the little things he gave to her every year on the anniversary of the day she started following him. His heart dropped at the sight of it.

"She kept all of them." He told himself, sifting through. He picked up the amethyst necklace that she used to wear and saw that it was broken. He stared into the deep purple that never faded or dulled. He held the necklace close to his chest, closing his eyes. In this moment, in his lonesome, he felt her presence and knew this feeling would last forever.

"Sesshomaru?" He heard a voice from behind, making him throw the necklace in and snap the box closed.

He turned, and saw Kagome standing there with Azami in her arms. He stood there, with a blank face, not saying anything.

"I thought it was Rin in here. What are you doing here?"

"It is my business why I am here, and not yours." He said.

Azami looked at Sesshomaru and seemed to recognize him because she smiled a huge smile.

"Sesshomaru, you are obviously here for Rin's things. Tell me where she is." Kagome said worriedly.

"She is safe." Was all he replied.

"Then why couldn't she have come herself?" Kagome was starting to get upset at his refusal to tell her what was going on. "You know, you forget that we care about her too, Sesshomaru."

"I know this. She did not want to come."

"Well, why not?" Kagome was starting raise her voice at him, making Azami upset. The little girl began to cry.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru said for the first time ever, catching her off guard. In the past, he had called her only by "priestess", refusing to go by a first name basis with her.

Sesshomaru came forward, looking at the crying child in her arms curiously. Azami put her arms up in the air, as if she wanted him. He looked at her for a good minute before placing his hands under Azami's arms and lifting her out of Kagome's. Kagome did not try to stop him, she already knew that Sesshomaru would not harm a child, and she was half shocked that he even reached to the child to begin with. As far as she knew, he thought that demon/human breeds like Inuyasha and Azami had been abominations and not worthy. The cries immediately stopped when he took her. He lifted her face to his, and the small girl touched the marking on his face gently. He allowed her to explore his face as he began to hold her in closer, letting her rest on his arms. Kagome watched on, slightly confused but very happy to see Azami's uncle showing her attention. The girl laughed and played with his hair. Sesshomaru's face never moved from his usual blank stare, so Kagome couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Your child is different from the others. What do you expect things to be like for her years from now? Will the other children make fun of her and cast her out?"

"I try not to think of those things, Sesshomaru. But I do worry. Even though the villagers seem to accept Inuyasha, sometimes I feel like they are just pretending."

"And when she is a woman, do you think a human man will want to court her knowing what she is?"

"I don't know, Sesshomaru. Are you saying these things to hurt my feelings?"

"No." Sesshomaru said, as Azami snuggled in close to his chest. "I am merely curious."

"I think she will be just fine no matter what. She has me and her father and her friends, Sango and Miroku and their children."

"Surely, with so many friends and allies, she will not have to suffer as your husband did."

Kagome fell silent as Sesshomaru walked over closer to her, handing Azami back to her. Was Sesshomaru showing empathy for all the pain and suffering Inuyasha had to go through as a child? She couldn't understand why such a change would occur. Usually Sesshomaru would refer to him as a half breed and curse him for existing, but his words were not harsh.

"I do not understand why you are so interested in my daughter's welfare." Kagome said. "Though I am flattered for her."

"She is my kin. I have every right to show interest."

"Yes, of course." Kagome said, her cheeks turning red. "I am just confused because you have never come to see her before."

"I refused to recognize her before. But this Sesshomaru has changed his mind."

"How blessed she is." Kagome said sarcastically, as if they were just sitting around waiting for his acceptance. Sesshomaru could be full of himself, but she was happy that he was finally showing interest in her family. She held her daughter close to her. "What in the world is going on, Sesshomaru? What is going on with Rin?"

Sesshomaru paused for a moment turning back to the box, picking it up.

"Rin is with me in my castle."

"You mean like…with you?" Kagome said, confused and bewildered. She knew he would not say it unless he meant it. "But how? I thought you believed that demon and human relationships were an abomination?"

"I did. But I cannot deny myself what is and always has been mine."

Kagome smiled, but there was a deep concern that she could not shake. Sesshomaru had made so many careless mistakes with Rin before, that she was worried that he might do something that might hurt Rin again. She was also concerned about Rin's state of mind. She had just gone through so much that Kagome refused to believe she was a hundred percent okay and making decisions with a clear head. But she sighed, knowing that's probably why she didn't come.

"Just be careful with her, okay?" Kagome said, turning around. "And please tell her that I want to see her, even if she feels like she's not welcome, she always has been."

Sesshomaru turned around and saw that Kagome was already beginning to leave. Azami was watching him over her shoulder as she went out the door. The amber eyes of the small girl locked on him as they left. He reopened the box, looking inside.

" _I thought these changes would be difficult, but there is somewhat of a relief that comes. This Sesshomaru will not show hypocrisy."_

…..

Rin woke up and looked to her side, which was empty. Her eyebrows wrinkled. She had noticed that Sesshomaru was gone all day the previous day and had not been there at night. She had tried to stay up and wait for him, but when it didn't look like he would come she fell asleep. Now that she was awake and he still wasn't there, she was beginning to worry.

" _What if he has changed his mind?" She thought. "No, why would he leave me here if that were the case.. Rin, don't get too far ahead of yourself. He probably just had business to attend to."_

When Rin sat up and pulled the sheets up over her, she noticed some fabric at the end of the bed that was not part of the sheets. It was a nice mix of light yellow and dark pink. She curiously stood up and walked around to the end of the bed. She moved the sheets aside and saw that the fabric was a nice silk kimono. She smiled, knowing that it was intended for her. A blush came over her cheeks.

"Sesshomaru.." She said as she picked up the delicate fabric to look at it. She admired the piece for several minutes before going to put it on. She gently pulled the soft fabric over herself and tied it gently. Rin made her way over to a large mirror that laid against the wall and looked at herself. Her skin had returned to its healthy olive glow and the bruises were gone. The cut on her lip was but a small white line. She noticed something moving in the mirror.

"Do you like it?" Sesshomaru asked, and Rin watched his figure in the mirror as he made his way over to her. "That old thing you had was ripped and dirty so I wanted to replace it."

"I love it. I am not deserving of such a nice gift." She said.

"I would not have given it to you if you were not." Sesshomaru said, moving to open a chest that laid in the room. Rin watched his figure moving in the mirror, and froze when he took out a very familiar box. A single tear fell down her cheek as he opened the box, and took out a necklace. Rin hadn't dreamed that Sesshomaru would ever go and fetch her possessions from the village just to make her happy.

Sesshomaru came over and gently placed his fingers around her collar bone, placing the amethyst necklace around her neck.

"You got it fixed." Rin said, a few more tears going down her face. She turned and wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's neck, pulling him down into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her gently lifting her around her waist and carrying her over to the bed as they continued pressing their lips together.

Sesshomaru let go of her letting her fall onto the bed gently, watching as her hair flowed up and down around her figure. He took a moment to look at her laying there. She was untying her kimono slowly and he watched in anticipation as her fingers let layer after layer started to expose her body to him. After a couple minutes of this, she slid her arms out and gently tossed it aside, looking Sesshomaru in the eyes. The necklace hung around her neck, decorating her small yet enticing chest. He didn't even take the time to undress as he descended upon her with his hands and lips. Rin moaned aloud as he let his lips find their way up her chest and to her neck. He wrapped his hand delicately behind her neck and used his other hand to remove rip off his robes. He slipped inside of her, and euphoria took over.

They made love for an hour and then rested, entangled together. Rin smiled and laid her head on his chest. Sesshomaru was sitting up and looking off into the distance. He thought of how much he enjoyed making love to Rin, even though it was not as wild as when he was with the twins. With them, he could do whatever he desired, including treating them with his claws and teeth. They enjoyed it, but with Rin being a human, if he did these things she would become severely injured. But he did not need this from Rin, her gentle and loving nature was enough to satisfy him. He looked down at her and then back up to the wall. He knew he had to tell her eventually so he decided he would do it now.

"I think you should know that you are not the first woman to share my bed."

Rin's head lifted off his chest and her eyes narrowed at his. She thought about it for a second, Sesshomaru never showed interest in women before so it took her by surprise that he had had other ladies before him. She nodded though, keeping her composure.

"Sure. I mean, of course you did. You have been alive for a long time, I wouldn't assume that I am your first. I mean, you aren't the first person I've been with either."

"Before we met on the mountain, I had two dog demon women here. I am ending my relations with them."

Rin nodded, but kind of sat again on her side of the bed, taking in this information. She was a little put off that he had had lovers so recently, but she was trying not to make a deal of it. She couldn't be mad at something that occurred before they got together. But that wasn't really what concerned her was the fact he had not called it off yet. She wrapped her arms around her knees worriedly. Rin felt intimidated by the thought of two jealous dog demons, and thought this was not a good way to start off her relationship with Sesshomaru. She felt his hand meet the middle of her back.

"You are angry with me." Sesshomaru said, his face blankly looking at hers.

"No! No, I'm not." Rin said. "I'm just wondering why you would choose me if you could have them."

"Because I do not love either of them."

"Do they love you?"

"These women do not know anything of love. All they know is pleasure."

"Oh." Rin said, turning towards him. "Well are they not going to become irate when you tell them you are breaking it off?"

"I am not worried about that."

Rin nodded, and Sesshomaru let his hand gently find it's way under her chin to lift her face to his. He kissed her.

"You will be the only woman I will have from now on. It is not something you need to worry yourself about."

Rin smiled at his words, and held him close to her, hoping that what he said was true.

…

Kagome was preparing dinner in her home, pacing back and forth in between her cooking and Azami, who was sleeping. The sun was already down, and she nervously brushed her fingers through her hair. She had been waiting for Inuyasha to come home from a job that him and Miroku had taken in another village. They had spent the night and she was expecting him home this night, and was anxious and nervous to tell him the conversation she had had the day before with Sesshomaru. She had a good idea of how Inuyasha would feel about it. She stirred the pot with one hand while biting her nails with the other.

When she felt two arms wrap around behind her, she jumped. She whipped around and saw that it was none other than Inuyasha, chuckling at her reaction.

"You scared me, you jerk!" She said, pushing him.

"I'm sorry." He said, laughing. He wrapped his arms around her, and she smiled, happy that he was home and safe with her. "How have you two been faring without me?"

"We've been well. Azami misses you though."

"Where is she?"

"Sleeping. You can go in and see her if you want."

"That's okay, I'll leave her to rest and see her in the morning. I'm starving." He said kissing her on her forehead.

"Well dinner is about one minute out, so you're in luck."

A few minutes later, the two were sitting together having dinner. Inuyasha scarfed down his food, making Kagome smile. She was happy he enjoyed her cooking so much. She put down her bowl and her sticks, and looked to Inuyasha.

"So we got a visit from your brother yesterday." Kagome said nonchalantly, trying to play it off like it wasn't a huge deal.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha slurred, downing the last bit of food in his bowl.

"I mean he was here yesterday." She clarified, shrugging.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked curiously, scratching the back of his head.

"Um, nothing worthy of mentioning," She said, smiling, Still trying to make light of the conversation. "but he was showing interest in Azami. He even picked her up. Strange, right?"

Inuyasha growled. "Why would you let him do that? Why would he even want to do that?"

"I don't know, Inuyasha. But I knew he wasn't going to hurt her. You know that, too."

"Do I know it?" He said, clearly upset. He stood up and removed himself from the table. "You have no idea what he's capable of."

"What do you mean I don't know?" She raised her voice. "I was there with you through all of your fights with him. I know what he's capable of."

"Well, what did he say?"

"He was just asking me about her and showing interest in her. He even mentioned you. I think he wants to make things right."

Inuyasha refused to believe what she said, so he became defensive. "He would never and you know that. And I don't want him anywhere near my kid again."

Kagome's cheeks turned red in anger. "I will not refuse him access to his niece because of some grudge you're holding onto. I think he deserves a chance to redeem himself."

"Well, I don't." Inuyasha said.

"Besides, that's not why he was around."

"Well, why was he around then?"

"Well.." Kagome said. "I know this may sound a little crazy but.. Sesshomaru and Rin are together now."

Inuyasha lost it at this. "So after all he's done and said, he's choosing to be with Rin? And we are just to accept that with no issue?"

"If it's what she wants, Inuyasha." Kagome replied. "It's their decision. I'm a little put off myself, but she's not a little girl anymore."

"After all he put me and my mother through, he is choosing to be with a human girl. After all of his hatred and the fighting. After all of that."

Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's waist, pulling him in. "I'm sorry for what he did to you both. But holding on to these things will not make you feel any better."

Inuyasha unwrapped her arms from him and put them at her sides. "He's a filthy hypocrite and I don't want to see him ever again. Not that I ever wanted to see him."

"Inuyasha.." Kagome started to argue.

"I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up for me." Inuyasha said, walking out of the little house.

Kagome angrily sprung for the doorway, holding onto either side. "That's great! Just leave whenever you have a problem. You know, sometimes I feel like running away too, Inuyasha!"

"Yeah? Well why don't you?!" He yelled back.

"I can't believe you would ask me that! After all the sacrifices I've made for you!" She yelled back before storming inside.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, feeling bad for causing such a big fight. They were no strangers to fighting, they had been arguing since the day they met. Marriage hadn't changed that one bit. But Inuyasha knew that he couldn't just walk away. He was still very upset that Kagome was siding with Sesshomaru, but he couldn't stand to leave her when she was as upset as she was. He turned to head back inside his house.

When he made his way inside, he found Kagome visibly upset and sitting on the floor by a small burning candle, trying to choke back tears. He felt worse than he had before, and found his way over to sit next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her head onto his chest, sighing.

"I'm sorry I got upset and said that." He said. "I know you left a lot behind to start a life here with me."

"Mom, Grandpa, Sota.." Kagome said, unable to hold back the tears that came.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome into him with both of his hands and let her cry into him. He used his right hand to rub her back. "I know you miss them a lot. I miss them, too."

"Inuyasha.." she whispered, wrapping her arms around him as they held each other tightly, as if nothing could part them from one another.

"I cannot just forgive everything that happened in the past with Sesshomaru, I simply cannot." Inuyasha said softly. "I just hope you can understand that."

…..

" _We can't keep living dream after dream, reality waits just outside these castle walls. We are past the point of no return and must go out and face the world. My love must make his bed and tell the world that he has chosen a human as his mate. I do not want him to throw away all he has worked for, but I feel that maybe we are the ones who can change things for humans and demons alike. Maybe we are foolish, and we will both be destroyed, like his Father. Maybe.. but I refuse to not be prepared for the future. I have to be a strong partner. That way if we are cut down, at least I can die knowing we tried.."_

Rin was watching Sesshomaru silently in the bed they shared. It had been about a month of pure bliss and she couldn't believe that she could be more in love with him than she was before. He was in a deep slumber, and in his sleep she thought he almost looked human. All of his hidden emotions seemed to come over his face when he slept. His face would wrinkle and his teeth would grind. She smiled at him, leaning down to kiss him on the lips, gently enough that he would not waken. She pulled the sheets off of her body slowly, leaving the bed. Rin tip toed over and headed to a chest, opening it. There she found her black and purple kimono that she had worn before coming here. She threw it on quickly, occasionally looking over to Sesshomaru to see if he woke. He was sleeping pretty heavily as far as she could tell. She looked down to her feet, seeing that it was indeed ripped by the feet.

" _Keep it plain." She thought. "Anything else will attract attention."_

She braided her unruly black hair loosely and pulled out from the chest a black cloth, tying it around her nose and mouth, concealing her face. Rin looked at herself in the mirror for a few moments, remembering the last time she had been dressed like this, she had escaped from the castle. She thought of how desperate she had been to leave and felt a twinge of sadness for how things had gone. The last thing she ever wanted was to hurt or kill anybody. But she couldn't live her life letting people push her around, either. She saw her amethyst necklace hanging on the wall and looked at it for a minute before placing it around her neck. Nodding to herself, she headed for the door, opening it gently. Rin walked down the stairs of the castle, heading for the door in front. When she opened it, she saw Jaken feeding Ah Un outside. She smiled, making her way down to them.

"Jaken." Her muffled speech came through the cloth. "I need to take Ah Un for the day."

"Why are you dressed like that, Rin? Where are you taking Ah Un?"

"That is my business. I have an errand to run."

"And you have told Lord Sesshomaru, I presume?" Jaken asked, squinting an eye her way.

"No. You must tell him that I will be back tonight." Rin said, rubbing Ah Un's side comfortingly.

"He is going to want to know where you are going." Jaken argued.

"Just relay the message to him, please. I will see you both tonight when I return." Rin said, blowing a kiss to him teasingly.

"Stubborn!" Jaken chided as she hopped onto Ah Un's back.

Rin smiled as the dragon lifted off. She held onto him tightly as they blasted through the crisp morning air.

Sesshomaru watched her and Ah Un disappear into the sky from his window. "Hn."

…

A foggy mist filled the air and the sound of flames could be heard. On a volcanic mountain there was a home crafted from the bones of demons. It sheltered an old, cross legged man. Before him, there was a sword. Flames shot forward from his mouth, and the sword turned red with heat before he struck down on it with a huge hammer, much too heavy for a regular old man to carry. He wiped his brow tiredly, and scratched his balding head. A few strands of white hair were held back by a tie.

"Time for a break." He said, letting out an 'oomph' when he went to stand. He hobbled over to the edge of his home, looking to the sky. He leaned against his hammer, holding himself up.

He heard a strange sound and looked to the clouds where he saw a big black shadow forming. He could see it was getting closer. He winced, trying to look closer into the shadow to decipher what it was.

"It couldn't be." He said, holding a hand up to his head.

When he saw the two headed body that came through the clouds, he looked to either side of him, wanting to flee. But it was already too late. "Sesshomaru.. What could he possibly want this time? That young brute is nothing but trouble."

When the dragon landed, he did not see Sesshomaru atop the dragon, but a young woman, covered from her nose down in black and purple fabric. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering why this girl had Sesshomaru's dragon. There was something even odder about this girl he couldn't quite put his finger on just yet. The girl dismounted from the dragon, patting him gently before she turned. She began to walk towards him, stepping around the volcanic ash, and he looked over to her, bewildered. He could tell now tell up close that the girl approaching him was human. Why would a human girl have a dragon that belonged to the most powerful demon he knew?

"You are the one they call Totosai?" He could hear the girl say through the black veil over her face.

"I am, indeed. I wonder, though, how a young girl such as you knows my name."

The girl removed the veil from her face and Totosai studied her, but he did not recognize her at all. "My name is Rin." She said, nodding to him politely.

"It is very brave for a young human to venture up here looking for an old demon like me." Totosai said, not used to having small human women seeking him out.

"If what I've heard is true, you wouldn't hurt a flea." She said, smiling.

Totosai chuckled, and motioned for her to come inside and she nodded politely, making her way inside the crudely built home. She saw demon bones and a sword laying around on the ground. He followed behind her, scratching his head. He sat on the ground and Rin sat across from him.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Totosai said. "You'll have to excuse my confusion, I don't get too many visits. Especially from humans."

"I've heard of your great skills as a swordsmith, and have seen swords that you yourself have made in action. One of the swords you crafted brought me back to life as a young child."

"Ahh!" Totosai interrupted, "so you are the child who Sesshomaru used the Tenseiga on. That would explain why you have his dragon. You are no longer a child, obviously."

"Yes, humans have a nasty habit of getting older."

"If you think demons do not get old, you'd be wrong, young lady. Just takes us a lot longer. I wasn't always an old man. Thousands of years have aged me, not a good way, either. Back in my day, I was quite smooth and handsome."

"Who says you are not still handsome?" Rin teased, smiling.

"Young lady, you flatter me. It is a real treat to see the positive results of the sword I forged by request of his father for young Sesshomaru."

"Positive results. That's debatable." She said, shaking her head. "Anyways, I have come because I am interested in having a sword forged."

"Hmmm…" Totosai thought, scratching his head. "I make swords of great power, young lady."

"I am aware of that, that is why I have come to you." Rin said, afraid of his answer.

"I do not make swords for humans, young Rin."

"You created Inuyasha's sword." Rin argued.

"Inuyasha is the son of the great dog demon, Inu no Taisho. A half demon, but a demon no less."

"So you will not even hear me out? I can pay you whatever you want." She argued.

"I do not accept human money." Totosai argued. "It is not just that you are human. You are under Sesshomaru's protection. Why should you need a sword?"

"I have my reasons. I do not want to be under anyone's protection but my own." Rin said, becoming upset.

"Well, I have my reasons, too, young lady." Totosai said, pointing to the ceiling of his little home. There was a visible hole in the top of his home that had been patched up with different demon bones to fill it. "Sesshomaru is a very powerful demon, maybe even stronger than his father, and much less reasonable. He struck down my home once, and I fear next time it will be me. I don't want to put myself or my house in danger."

"I guarantee your safety." Rin said in one last attempt to appeal to him.

"You cannot guarantee me that."

"You will not consider it then?"

"My answer is no. I am sorry, young lady."

Rin stood up slowly, nodding to him. "I understand. I apologize for wasting your time."

He watched as Rin moved by him, the tattered bottom of her kimono sliding across the ground. When she found Ah Un, she wrapped the black cloth around her face and looked back at Totosai, nodding before she climbed atop the dragon.

" _I will get him to change his mind.." She thought before taking off._

Totosai watched as Rin disappeared into the sky, scratching his head. "I hope I didn't upset her too much. What a strange girl. What use does she have for a sword?"

He shook his head before returning to his work.

" _It would seem the son of the great dog demon has found himself smitten with a human girl, like his Father before him. Although this one is much feistier. I just hope things don't end like they did for Inu no Taisho and his human woman."_


	20. Chapter 20: A mission of her own

(Hey guys! Sorry this took a bit. The holidays approaching and whatnot. Busy Busy. Also I've been working on a short fic that I will also continute to write to mix things up and keep my wheels turning. Check it out it's called The Dark Castle and follows Naraku and his crew.

A few people have commented about the Eastern Twins and they are universally hated, as expected. I had to make characters people don't like. Lol But I felt like Sesshomaru needed to be a little fallen and imperfect to be able to admit his feelings for Rin.

Anyways, enjoy!)

Chapter 20: A mission of her own

The sun was going down when Rin reached her destination. The purple shadows in the clouds caught her fancy as she sailed in the sky. She rubbed Ah Un's neck gently as he soared down towards the ground. He landed by the castle, making a huge thud when he landed. Rin slid off of him, moving to his side. She rubbed one of his noses gently and smiled. She pulled two pieces of fruit out of her pocket and fed them to him. The delighted dragon chewed away and rubbed into Rin affectionately.

"Ah Un, you are such a handsome beast." Rin said lovingly, rubbing both of his noses. "I missed you so much over the past few years. I am glad to be with you again."

She glanced over at the castle, and saw that Sesshomaru was watching her from his window. Their eyes met and stayed there for a moment, hypnotized before Rin snapped out of it and stopped to look to Ah Un. She smiled at the dragon and looked back to the window, and he was gone. Throwing her hair to the side, she began walking up the castle steps. She slowly made her way through the door, closing it gently behind her.

As she trudged up the stairs tiredly, she thought of her errand she had made to see Totosai to request that he forge a sword for her. He had no intention to make a sword for a human girl, especially one that was associated with Sesshomaru. Rin felt almost angry at Sesshomaru for this. Why should she be refused a sword merely from association? Sesshomaru's reputation as someone to be feared and avoided was one that concerned her.

When she made it to the door of his chambers, she pushed the door open gently, letting herself in. Sesshomaru was standing in the window again, looking out at the sky that was turning a dark blue. Rin stood still and said nothing, wanting for him to notice her but at the same time, just wanted to take in his beauty. He turned to look at her before he began walking towards her. When he approached her, he lifted his hands, pulling the black veil that hid her face off of her. She stayed perfectly still as he did this, and looked into his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking, and whether or not he had missed her that day. He looked at her face, studying everything form the twitches in her brow to the way her lips moved. He leaned in, taking her lips for himself. Rin wrapped her arms around him, pulling him deeper into the kiss.

When they pulled back from their kiss, Sesshomaru began to run his fingers through Rin's hair, pulling the messy braid out of her hair expertly. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands caressing her gently. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him, taking in all of her smells.

"I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye this morning." She said, running her fingers through his hair.

"Don't be apologetic. You did what you did for a reason. You did not want me to know you were leaving." He said, letting go of her.

Sesshomaru moved to sit on the bed. Rin made her way around to the other side, she knelt down on the bed, crawling behind him. She used her hands to gently rub his back and shoulders, choosing to have a moment of silence before speaking again. His head leaned back, as he was enjoying her gentle caress. His words sunk in, and she thought about them thoroughly before choosing to respond.

"I guess I thought if I told you I was going, you might try to stop me." She said, letting her hands find her side. He turned to face her.

"It would depend." He said, letting his warm hand slide down her arm. "I wouldn't want you anywhere that I couldn't protect you."

"We both know your pride makes you sometimes unreasonable." She admitted. "I love you but I can't trust that we will always see eye to eye."

"How is that old fool Totosai?" Sesshomaru asked.

He had wanted to wait for Rin to tell him about her errand herself, but he could not ignore the smell of volcanic ash and old decrepit demon on her. Rin stepped off the bed, turning her back to him. She was a little upset, and he could tell.

"Can I have nothing to myself, then?" She argued angrily. "This errand was mine and mine alone. It did not concern you."

"It is my concern, of course." He said. "There is only one reason anyone goes to him. You want to have a sword forged, but you do not understand what it means to carry a sword of such great power. With it comes great responsibility. Why should you want that?"

"Because I want to be able to protect myself."

"You do not want my protection." He said, somewhat offended by the notion.

She turned to face him. "The last time someone promised to protect me, he couldn't protect me from himself."

"Do not compare me to that wretched human man. I would never harm you. He is lucky that you were the one to cut him down, and not I."

"I did not mean it like that." Rin said defensively. "I want to be able to protect you, too."

"I do not need you to protect me." He said proudly.

"Well you can bask in your pride because he refused me." She said turning her head, not wanting to look at him anymore.

"Of course he did. The old man may be senile, but he is no fool." Sesshomaru brought his finger to her cheek to tilt her head back to look at him.

"Are you trying to say you do not think I can handle such a sword myself?"

"Not right now, you cannot. It takes a lot of time and training to be able to handle one of Totosai's creations. You simply are not ready to take on such a weapon. The aura of the sword alone would possess you and make you lose your mind. This, I do not want for you."

"What do you want for me, then?" Her eyes pierced into him.

"I wish only for your happiness. I never wanted for you to have to hold a sword, or swing it in fear of your life. I wanted to protect you so you could keep your soft nature. When I passed off the duty to another, I betrayed you. No one can protect you but me."

"I refuse to be dependent on you for protection as I was years ago as a young girl. Will you not accept that? It is only because I learned to defend myself that I haven't perished. I am proficient with a sword and I will not let these skills go to waste. I still have my mission to fulfill and I want you to support me in my choices."

Sesshomaru paused for a long moment and then smiled, making Rin concerned. Her Sesshomaru almost never smiled. He shook his head and rose, walking over to the window again, seemingly in thought.

"Then you shall have my support. To see you so passionate and driven makes me reconsider. It is not my wish for you to leave my side, but you must do what you feel you need to do."

Rin stood up, heading over to the window. She sat in the windowsill, wishing to look at his beautiful face. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. This time of refuge has given me time to clear my head. I must do these things before I return to you. It may take a long time… but you must have faith in me."

"You should find a human swordsmith, because you are wasting your time with Totosai. It is impossible to get him to forge a sword that he does not want to forge." He said, remembering when he demanded a new sword of Totosai when he was unhappy with the Tenseiga. Even at the threat of his life, he still refused to make him a new sword.

"Perhaps you are right." She said, before letting a smile escape. "As always."

"Just promise me one thing." Sesshomaru said, taking her into his arms. "That when all is said and done, you will return to me."

"I promise. You will always own my heart, Sesshomaru, no matter where I go." She said.

"And if you should ever need my help, you will call upon me." He said, motioning to her amethyst necklace around her neck. He ran his finger across his fang, causing his finger to bleed. He placed his bleeding finger on the large purple stone. The necklace glowed before Rin's eyes and then resumed its normal color.

"What just happened?" She asked.

"I had a rock demon craft this necklace for you many years ago. I had many opportunities to unleash its true powers, but I always chose otherwise. This gem will lead me to you, if you should ever want me. But only if you want me. I cannot sense the jewel otherwise."

Rin held onto the necklace around her neck in amazement. She had been wearing it this whole time without even considering that it might have any purpose other than to look nice. But it did make her wonder.

"Why did you choose not to activate its powers until now? There were times I missed and wanted you so much, I thought I might die."

"I didn't want to see the day that you would no longer want for me. Truly a selfish reason, but my reason nonetheless."

Rin wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her in a comforting fashion. "There will be a day that we do not need to be apart. Until then, I will always wear this."

…..

It was a beautiful day when Rin arose, although she was not happy that the sun was shining. She was going to leave Sesshomaru behind so she could go forth and discover what she was looking for. She never mentioned what it was that her mission would lead her to, but he never asked. He figured that he would find it out eventually. It was not important that he knew why she was going, but he knew it was important to her that she seek out what it was that she was looking for.

"First, I will go to Kagome and Sango. It won't be easy to face them but I have to do it. They are my friends." Rin said as she gently looped her fingers about her hair, making a tight braid that would not loosen. She looked at her reflection before she tied her hair at the end. She saw Sesshomaru pulling his armor over his shoulder in the reflection. She turned to watch him put himself together. He looked almost in pain, and she knew it was because she was leaving. "And where will you go?"

"There is business to attend to. I must go to my Mother's palace to discuss things with her."

"So is she going to be marrying this new man of hers?" Rin asked curiously.

Sesshomaru paused. "She will not. Though my father is dead, she cannot marry again. She is bound to him forever. Monomaru is merely there to pass her time and give her pups so she can fill her empty nest. He can never be her husband."

Rin could feel the heat coming from Sesshomaru's body from across the room. "If they have pups, you will be a brother again."

He shot her a look that said he did not want to think about that possibility.

"It is obvious you are not fond of this demon." She said.

"He is an ugly old bastard that does not deserve to be by her side."

"I imagine she must have been very lonely by herself. Imagine, she lost your father even before he died. That must have been painful for her."

"My mother never showed any signs of pain if she felt it, and remained friendly with my father, even though he left her. I imagine she had no choice but to be graceful about it. If she had chosen to be jealous and try to destroy Izayoi, she may have been cut down by my father, and I don't think she ever wanted to find out if he was capable of doing that to her after centuries together and bearing his offspring."

"I didn't know him at all, but I don't think he would have. What do you think?" Rin asked, walking towards him. She sat down on the bed and looked at him. His face was stoic and unreadable.

"He was an honorable demon, but I do not know what he would have done." He replied. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Yes, of course." Rin said, nodding. She sat for a minute, watching him tuck his sword in his belt. She touched her fingers together pensively. "I will miss you so much when I go."

Sesshomaru turned to look at her. He approached her, sitting down on the bed by her. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what it is you are seeking out, and I will not ask you. But I will come to you whenever you need me. Do not hesitate to call out for me."

"And what if you should need me?" She said, averting her eyes.

"This Sesshomaru is patient. I will wait for you." He said turning her face gently to his. He leaned in to kiss her, and she let their lips meet. When he pulled away, he could see tears in her eyes. "Take Ah Un with you. He grows fat in his leisure here."

Rin let out an amused smile, his comment lightening up their sad good bye.

"I love you, Sesshomaru." Rin said before kissing him once more. "I will return to you as soon as I can."

…

Things were quiet in the palace that sheltered Sesshomaru's Mother. She sat there watching a couple of her guards walk back and forth, with nothing better to do. She played with the necklace on her neck that was from her late husband. She looked to the sky before closing her eyes. A smile graced her face as she thought of the great dog demon she had married. He was handsome, tall, and full of wisdom.

 _The sun was beating down on her face as she listened to the whispers of the wind. She looked down at the little figure of her son, Sesshomaru, who was still very young. Her husband had taken her and her son to a nice open field full of flowers where they could spend time together before he left. Sesshomaru was rough housing with his Father, as most boys liked to do. She watched as her son hit his Father in the leg, earning a gentle kick from the large man. The boy fell to the ground and got right back up to strike him again, which made her laugh. The boy was little, but he was a very resilient and vicious pup. He left bite marks up and down his Mother's legs and arms. The Lady Mother smiled as she watched the boys father lift him onto his shoulders. The man was large, with long white hair and markings on his face._

" _Father, I want to come with you." The little boy complained, with a grumpy look on his face._

" _Where am I going?" He queried, looking up at the young boy._

" _Mother says you are going to the mountains to battle the bat demons, and I want to come. I want to see you blast them all to hell."_

" _Oh did she?" He sighed. "Sesshomaru, I am not going to pick a fight with the bat demons."_

" _Why not, Father?"_

" _My son, I do not earn the respect of other demons by blindly going into battle with them. We will see if we can come to an agreement. If they insist on having a dispute, only then will they have one."_

" _I don't understand, Father. You are so much stronger than them."_

" _I know you do not understand, Sesshomaru, that is why I am trying to teach you. Just because I am stronger does not mean that I should go to battle with them. Trying to maintain peace between them and us is the noble thing to do."_

" _Hnn. Mother says you should instill fear in your enemies and take what you want- no questions asked.." Little Sesshomaru replied. Inu no Taisho let his son down on the ground and kneeled there, looking at the little boy he was responsible for._

 _The great dog demon saw the look on his son's empty face and sighed. Sesshomaru was a joyless and spoiled child, often getting whatever he desired from his doting and wealthy Lady Mother. She encouraged the little boy's vicious behavior, as she was raising him to be a ruthless killer. Sesshomaru did as he pleased and was seldomly punished. Inu no Taisho always had to be the one to set the boy straight. He hoped that he could rub off on the young boy, and instill some humility in him, but he knew it might be in vain._

" _Why don't you go play, my son?"_

" _But you haven't answered me yet. I want to go with you." The boy said, stomping his foot into the ground angrily._

" _You are not coming with me, Sesshomaru. Now go. And think about what I've told you." Inu no Taisho replied, not moved by his pup's display of dominant behavior._

 _Little Sesshomaru growled, kicking the ground and yanking up flowers as he stomped away. Inu no Taisho shook his head as he moved to sit down next to his Lady. She was a rare beauty, and he was proud to have her and their son, even if they both could be a little difficult._

" _My beauty," he called to her, "I wish you would not spoil my son like you do. He is becoming rotten."_

" _Nonsense, our son is perfect." She replied, raising her little nose in the air. "You know that."_

" _No doubt, the boy is good looking. He took after his Mother in that regard." He said, sliding his finger under her chin. "But someday he will have to take over for me, and I want him to show the kind of humility and fairness that a noble warrior needs to possess to be great."_

" _My son will be a great warrior, you will see." She said, leaning in to kiss him._

She was roused by a big hand wrapping around her waist. The Lady Mother looked to her side and saw Monomaru leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. She allowed him to steal his kisses before really looking at him. She thought that maybe if her late husband had not died, he would look a lot like Monomaru did now. He wasn't very conventionally attractive, as centuries of battles and the elements had taken a toll on his face. She smiled at him sweetly.

"Delicate flower, how can you be sweet on this terrible beast?" He said, rubbing her nose with his.

"You are hardly a beast, Monomaru." She teased him.

He placed his hand on her lower belly and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into him. She smiled, allowing him to shower his affections on her.

"My Lady, you are most lovely. Our pups will hopefully take after you alone."

"Monomaru.." She scolded him. "I do not want you to get your hopes up that it will happen. I may still be able to carry pups, but we cannot count on it."

"Whether or not you do, I will be happy." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

There was a small wind that picked up, and the Lady sighed and stood up slowly.

"Speaking of pups," She said tiredly. "My Sesshomaru is going to be here soon."

"It's about time the young man comes to see you." Monomaru said.

"I'm sure it's not to exchange pleasantries." She smirked, knowing her son better than anyone.

Before long, Sesshomaru had already made his entrance, big clouds billowing around him as his feet hit the ivory floor. He took a few steps toward his mother, not speaking. She took a few steps toward him and stopped suddenly. Her eyebrows tightened and she sniffed the air, smelling something new. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was that she was smelling.

"Sesshomaru, to what do we owe this visit?" She asked.

"I wish to call for a meeting at my estate. I want all of our allies to be there."

"This is good news." She said, approaching her son. She rubbed noses with him before looking into his eyes. "Why do I feel as if I've been roped into this?"

"Because you will be the one sending out the notice. You have the most contact with our allies, it's only fitting that you should be the one to send out the word."

"Young Sesshomaru, there is a strong scent of human on you." Monomaru mentioned, changing the conversation. "You should try to clean your hands after you've eaten, boy."

Sesshomaru shot Monomaru a vicious glance. "Do not try to give me advice, old man."

Monomaru let out a heavy laugh. "Little cousin, you are stubborn as an ox. You must lighten up."

"And you must stop speaking to me before I remove your head from your body."

"Sesshomaru, really…" His mother interrupted.

Monomaru let out another hearty laugh, choosing not to be intimidated by the young dog demon.

"If you two are done arguing, I would like to speak to you in private." She motioned to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru nodded and his mother began to lead him inside the palace. Monomaru's eyes followed them as they disappeared. His mother's steps were heavy and not at all elegant as they usually were. There was obviously something on her mind. When they made their way to her chambers, she looked to both sides before closing the doors behind her, making sure that no one could see or hear them. She took a moment before turning to look at her son. She stared into his eyes and he into hers. Her eyes looked sad and angry at the same time.

"Sesshomaru.. " She sighed.

"Mother, there is something you must know. But I feel you already do."

"So you weren't planning to keep it from me?" Her voice was low.

"Mother.."

"I can smell that human girl on you, Sesshomaru." She raised her voice.

He stood there, waiting for his Mother to take it in as her suspicions about Sesshomaru were being confirmed. His face unmoving, he stood there watching as she plopped onto her bed in shock.

"How could you, Sesshomaru?"

"I can't deny myself what I truly want anymore."

"Tell me you do not love her, Sesshomaru. Tell me it was merely an act and nothing more."

"I cannot tell you that. Because I do."

"Do you not remember what happened to your Father, Sesshomaru?"

"I accept that fate if it should be mine. But the world is different now. Both humans and demons are coming to a crossroads."

"No. You cannot do this to me, Sesshomaru." She said, holding tightly onto the necklace around her neck.

"I'm going ahead with my plans, I am not going to hide like some coward. I will finish what my father started."

"Everything we've worked for. You will ruin everything."

"If you cannot accept our arrangement, then I will leave and never return."

Sesshomaru's Mother stood up and walked up to him. "I will never turn you away, Sesshomaru. But you must understand that you put me in a tough position."

He slowly brought up his hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. Her eyes closed and she felt warm at her son's affectionate touch. "I am not blind to the pain it is going to cause you. It was not easy for you to lose my Father, this I understand."

"Why do these have to be this way, Sesshomaru?" She asked him calmly, wrapping her arms around him. "I gave you everything, Sesshomaru, I gave you a path to greatness. Will you really throw it away for one human girl?"

Sesshomaru paused for a moment, and then looked into his mother's eyes. "If I have to."

….

Miroku was meditating in a large field beside the village. His work for the day already done, he took comfort in the little bit of silence and peace that did not occur at home. His eyes closed, he hummed softly. This went on for several minutes before he heard the soft sound of a kimono swaying back and forth. The sounds stopped when they got to him and then there came a sound of someone sitting next to him.

"Sango, your impatience to have me home intrigues me." He said pervishly, reaching out to touch her thigh without opening his eyes.

A hand slapped his away and he smirked, letting out a sigh of defeat. "Oh come now, my dear wife. The days of being prudish are far past us, don't you think?"

Miroku opened his eyes and saw a familiar face across from him, but not that of Sango's. Rin was sitting next to him with her hands on her knees, giving him quite the concerned look.

"Oh! Uhhhh, hey Rin. How nice to see you. We weren't expecting you." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his head with a silly, guilty smile on his face.

"I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome." Rin teased, before leaning back on her hands. "It is nice to see you, Miroku. How has everyone here been faring?"

"Well, we've been alright. Just as busy as ever, with so many kids running around."

"There have been no disturbances in the village? No men coming around, asking for me?" She asked, poking at the ground with her index finger.

"No, I'm glad to say that no one has been by here for any reasons like that."

"I am glad to hear this. The last thing I want is for my trouble to become yours again."

Miroku placed a hand on the middle of Rin's back comfortingly. "Don't worry yourself about such things, Rin. Family looks out for each other, which is exactly what Inuyasha did when he set out to find you when things weren't looking good."

"Inuyasha.." Rin said, rubbing her hands together. "He is probably furious with me for leaving him and Jaken behind at the castle."

"You could say that." Miroku said, shaking his head a little. "But that is just how Inuyasha is. If he weren't mad at anybody for anything, I'd be a little concerned. At the end of the day, he is just glad that you are safely away from harm. No matter what he says, he cares about you. As do I, and Sango, and Kagome."

"Thank you, Miroku."

Miroku stood up before extending a hand to Rin. "Now come with me. I think it's time you let everyone see that you are well."

Rin took his hand and let him help her up. They both walked towards the village silently, occasionally glancing at one another. After a couple minutes, Miroku spoke up.

"So I have heard that you and Sesshomaru have decided to be with each other. Is this true?"

"Yes.. there is nothing I have ever desired more."

"Hmm." He hummed, in thought. "The heart wants what it wants. If you are willing to go through hardships for love, then it has the right to survive them."

By the time he finished his sentence, they were closer to the home in which Miroku lived with Sango and their plentiful children. A couple of them noticed Rin and approached her.

"Rin!" Huyu darted to her desperately, and she took him in her arms.

"I've missed you all." Rin said, tousling Huyu's hair with her fingers before standing straight.

They bombarded her with questions, wondering where she had been all this time. She stood there with a somber smile on her face, silently watching them all. "It doesn't matter, because I'm here now."

"Are you going to stay?" One of the twins asked, though Rin was not sure which one.

"No, I am not. I will be leaving within the next couple of days. But don't worry, you will see me again."

"I should hope so." A voice rang from the doorway. Sango was standing there with a half-smile on her face. "We were afraid we might have lost you forever."

Sango and Rin came in for a hug, although it felt so odd to Rin now to show these kinds of affections to the people she could have potentially put in danger. But if she did not settle everything now, she could not move forward on her path.

"That might have been a blessing. I am not the kind of person you want around." Rin replied.

"Don't say those things. Of course you are." She chided.

"Huyu, you stay with your brothers and sisters and don't stray. We're going to Kagome's with Rin if any of you should need us." Miroku said to his children, whether or not they were listening. They trampled like a pack of wolves back into their home, pinching and shouting all the while.

Sango turned to Rin as they began walking towards Kagome's with Miroku. "So is it true? Sesshomaru and you are..you know.."

"Yes."

"Oh. I don't know, Rin.. Don't you think it's a big strange?"

"You think I don't know that, Sango. I've cursed myself for loving him so many times before. But no more. If it's strange, we will be strange together."

"Love is strange, I can't argue with that."

Outside of Kagome's home, Inuyasha was holding his daughters hand and helping her walk around. Her little legs wobbled a bit, but she was upright and traipsing along just fine. This made Rin smile. She was happy to see Azami again, getting bigger. Inuyasha caught sight of the three of them heading towards them and the smile that was on his face faded, as did Rin's.

"Look who has the nerve to come around." He said, in a low tone.

"Come, Inuyasha, do not be hostile." Miroku said, putting his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

Azami pulled away from her father's hand, as if she wanted him to let go of her. So he released her hand, and she fell onto her bottom. She got up and began to walk towards Rin, reaching out for her.

"It would appear she has not forgotten about you." Sango said as Rin picked up Azami.

"Where is Kagome?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted into his home.

The sounds of feet starting sounding towards the door and Kagome's voice could be heard. "Inuyasha, why are you shouting like that? What's the problem?"

Kagome stopped when she made it to the doorway and saw Rin across from her, holding Azami. When Rin saw Kagome, she gently placed Azami back down onto the ground and began walking towards her.

"Kagome.." Rin started, but was cut off by Kagome's arms being thrown around her, almost knocking her down. She smiled and returned Kagome's embrace.

"I'm sorry, Kagome." She said before Kagome released her.

"Don't. It's okay." Kagome said, smiling.

"I'll say it isn't if no one else will." Inuyasha chimed in angrily.

"Inuyasha.." Sango said, annoyed by his cold display. "Will you stop while you are ahead?"

"It's alright. I deserve it." Rin said, turning to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha.."

Inuyasha stubbornly turned his back to her. He was fuming, and she could see that. But she was still willing to appeal to him.

"Thank you for coming to the castle to help me. If not for you and Jaken I would still be there. I am sorry for my breakdown that led to me abandoning you.. and I do not expect you to forgive me. Just know that I am not blind to the care you've shown for me."

"You think that's all this is about?" Inuyasha turned to her. "Yes, it was cold to leave the two of us stranded far from home. But that pales in comparison to what you've done with Sesshomaru. Don't you know who he is? Have you learned nothing about him all these years?"

"I feared it might be about him.." Rin replied, folding her hands together.

"Inuyasha, surely this can wait for later.. she just got here." Miroku tried to mediate.

"Yes, come in for something to eat." Kagome said, motioning for everyone to come inside.

Rin nodded and slowly followed Kagome inside. Sango and Miroku followed them in while Inuyasha stayed outside with Azami. He sat down on the ground, looking to her. She walked over to him, plopping unevenly into his lap. Inuyasha sighed and held his daughter close to him.

Meanwhile, inside, the four were sitting in a circle.

"I bet you're hungry from your trip over." Kagome said, ladling out food from a big pot into a few bowls.

"Yes.. thank you." Rin said appreciatively. "I am sorry for making Inuyasha so angry."

"Don't apologize about him. He has his own issues that he needs to work out himself." Kagome replied. "Nobody else can do that for him."

"I fear that there will never be a good relationship between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha." Rin said, her eyes meeting the ground in thought.

"I've tried talking to Inuyasha about it but he is intent on holding onto his grudge against Sesshomaru."

"You can't really blame him." Sango added. "After all is said and done, he despised Inuyasha and tried to kill him on more than one occasion."

"I understand this. Sesshomaru is also too proud to apologize for everything that was done. I don't really know the extent of how bad things got back then. I was only a child when the two were fighting over the Tetsaiga. So I never really understood why the arguments continued after Sesshomaru gave up his pursuit of it and accepted Inuyasha as it's rightful owner."

Kagome looked at Rin and realized she didn't see Sesshomaru the way that everyone else did. She was often sheltered from his cruel and aggressive side.

"Well, he wasn't exactly the kind of family Inuyasha needed when he was growing up and well after, either. His mother would try to get Sesshomaru to accept Inuyasha, but he would not hear it. He would intimidate Inuyasha's mother and try to get her to talk about the sword. There was even a time where Sesshomaru came up with an elaborate scheme to make it seem as if he had Izayoi prisoner long after her death, and Inuyasha almost fell for it. Inuyasha's love for his mother is what fuels his hatred for Sesshomaru."

Rin ate slowly in silence listening to Kagome go on about the harsh things that Sesshomaru had done in the past and cringed at the thought of the man she loved being so cruel to others.

"But that's beside the point that he's obviously changed for the better." Miroku added when he saw the upset look on Rin's face. "We saw the change ourselves after you began to follow him as a child. We know that he is not a heartless demon, but Inuyasha still fails to see it."

"I understand Inuyasha's feelings." Rin nodded. "I am saddened to hear of his mother's plight."

"Well, that's all I'm going to say about that." Kagome said clapping her hands together, trying to wrap up the depression of the conversation.

"So you mentioned you were only going to be here for a couple days." Sango said to Rin. "Do you intend to return after that?"

"No. That is another reason I have stopped here. I need a weapon and I figure Sango is the best one to speak to about such things. In all your years of demon slaying, you must know a swordsmith good enough to craft me an acceptable weapon."

"Me?" Sango piped up, lifting her head. "I've been taking care of the kids for so long, I'm so out of touch with everyone. But I do know someone you can visit that can help you."

Sango had a funny look on her face when she spoke, which made Rin raise an eyebrow. Miroku looked to Sango and she to him, and he nodded his head in agreement.

" _Strange." Rin thought._

((Later that night))

Inuyasha was walking around the village alone under the moonlight, as he did often when he couldn't sleep. He reached the bridge over the river and began to walk across. When he got to the middle, he stopped and sighed, looking at the moon. He leaned his hands up against the rail.

"Can I join you?" A voice made him turn.

"What do you want?" He replied when he saw who it was.

Rin stepped onto the bridge and stopped when she met him. She turned to face the moon and it illuminated the whites in her eyes. Inuyasha could see a certain sadness in them, even though she was smiling.

"I know you've always resented the way Sesshomaru cares for me." She said, watching a couple small bugs zip around the air.

"Why do you say that?" Inuyasha said, crossing his arms.

"I understand that it pains you that he accepted me as a young child and allowed me into his life to be with him even though I was just a human girl."

"What do you know about my pain?" Inuyasha grunted.

"I do not know your pain, but I do know that he should have accepted you. He should have loved you the way one should love their younger brother."

Inuyasha's face was turning red. "What are you suggesting?" He replied angrily.

"I am suggesting that he was wrong. He should not have been your enemy. He should have been your friend, your guardian when you needed it the most."

"I'm certain he does not agree with you. And even if he did, it doesn't take back what he did."

"I understand, Inuyasha." Rin said somberly. "You know, I haven't even told him what I'm out here doing. Maybe I don't even know what I'm doing. I know you hate me, but I need your advice."

Inuyasha sighed. "Rin, I don't hate you. I just think you are repeating a history that ought not to be repeated. What do you need my advice for?"

"You are still half demon and will live much longer than Kagome. How do you both cope with that fact? And if there was a way to change that, would you?"

Inuyasha looked down at the river and sighed. "Well, we try not to think of it. As if it'll never happen. If there was a way to change it, I would. I can't imagine life without her."

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

"What are you getting at?"

"I cannot be his unless it is forever. I cannot bear the thought of leaving him alone in this world after I am gone."

"Am I hearing this right? So you're just blindly going into the world looking for a way to _live forever_?"

Rin's face hardened. "I know it sounds crazy, Inuyasha. But if I could find a way then there's hope for you and Kagome as well."

"Rin, you are crazy. That fall down the steps really did a number to your head. Things aren't that simple."

"I have to have hope that I will find what I'm looking for."

"Well, for your sake, I do hope you will find what you are looking for or come to your senses before something bad happens."

"Keep this conversation to yourself, Inuyasha. You will worry the others if you tell them."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Inuyasha said, scratching his head.

"Good night, Inuyasha."

Rin left him there in the middle of the bridge, bewildered and worried. She thought for a minute that maybe he was right, but then shook her head and kept walking forward.

….

Hana was outside of her home, sitting on a small bench. She watched as the crows flew up and down the walls of her home and she sighed tiredly.

" _How much longer until Gina gets back?" She wondered._

Her sister had gone away on an errand and had been gone for a couple of days. She stood up and began to head towards the door when the wind picked up. Hana smelled the air and thought that it smelled familiar. It was a strong and musky scent. She looked up to the sky, waiting. Soon enough, a large white demon came through the clouds and landed on the ground with a huge thud. It was the very dog demon that had come crashing to their territory before. She smiled when she saw him.

"Sesshomaru. I was wondering when you'd come to see us next. It has been a while." She said sweetly.

He transformed and took a few steps towards her and she towards him. He sniffed the air. "Where is your sister?" He asked. The twins were always together, so he was very put off when he saw that Hana was here alone.

"She is not here right now. Why do you look so jaded, Sesshomaru? Is everything alright?"

"I was hoping to speak to both of you, but I do not have time to return."

"Do you wish to come in?" Hana asked politely.

"Yes" He said, sniffing the air again. There had been an odd smell he had picked up miles away, and he realized now that it was her. "You smell different."

Hana ignored his invasive question and led him inside. They walked down the hall and into the main room of the establishment. Sesshomaru looked at the familiar walls that were lined with weapons and paintings. She sat on a cushion on the floor, offering for him to sit close. He sighed and sat down, not excited about this particular errand. "Are you going to tell me why you came, Sesshomaru? I fear the news is not good."

"I have come to discuss the actions that have taken place over the past couple of months. They must end, so I have come to tell you both."

"Oh…" Hana said, her cheeks turning red.

"I realize that our kind is becoming scarce and that my lack of interaction with females of our sort is what caused such looseness in my actions."

"Yes.." Hana said, fumbling around with her fingers. "You are one of the few male dog demons we've been able to find so far. Well, except for Father. And he doesn't count."

"I want you to know I wish to keep peace between the Eastern and Western dog demons. Our alliance is one of the most important. If the dog demons cannot stick together, we are doomed to perish. I hope we can put our actions behind us and move forward as allies."

"Sesshomaru.." Hana said, her eyes were filled with rage although she tried to keep her body language neutral. He felt a twinge of guilt as her hands dropped down into her lap. "I suppose this had to happen eventually. It's just..."

Hana had something at the tip of her tongue, it was obvious. She bit her lip and shook her head.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Never mind. You can go now." She said, standing and folding her hands together.

"Does this mean you accept my offer of peace?"

"It means I want you to leave, Sesshomaru." Hana said, walking past him briskly.

While Sesshomaru understood why she was angry, he was not satisfied with his interaction with her. There was something she wasn't saying. He began to follow her.

"Are you deaf? Get out!" She shouted. "You are not welcome anymore!"

"Hana. There is something you keep from me." He told her, his eyebrows tightened.

"I don't owe you any answers or explanations. Get. Out." She growled low.

When he came closer, her eyes turned red and she pushed him away, which surprised Sesshomaru more than anything. She was the quiet and relaxed one of the two demonesses, and never challenged him, unlike her sister Gina. Her push did not phase him at all. He stood there looking at her inquisitively. He had noticed that she was weakened, and her demonic aura was changed.

" _Perhaps she is injured." Sesshomaru thought before taking another step forward._

Hana swiped at him with her claws, managing to hit him in the face. Several precise lines of blood ran down Sesshomaru's face. In one swift motion, he had her pinned up against the wall. His right hand was placed expertly around her chin, holding her head against the stone. It was not his intention to harm her with this motion, but to instill caution. She was dead frozen, and her eyes were locked on his, fearful yet resilient.

"Do not think you can challenge me, Hana." He said, not releasing his grasp on her face. "It is not my wish to harm you. But if you continue to strike out at me, I will not hesitate."

He released her, but she didn't move. She stood there in the same position, looking directly at him with wide eyes. Her breaths were heavy. She almost looked like she could cry, but he knew that she wouldn't.

"Tell Gina what I've told you and we will forget all this." He said, turning to leave.

Red eyes watched as Sesshomaru made his exit from the home of the dog demoness'. When he was gone, Hana slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She sat there for several moments in silence. When the shock had left her, her eyes glowed red and she picked up a vase, throwing it angrily at the wall. She let out a giant growl as a tear ran down her cheek.

….

"Are you sure you can't stay a few more days?"

Kagome ran her fingers through Rin's long hair as the girl knelt down, packing things away in a small bag. Rin looked up at Kagome and smiled before standing.

"Kagome, I will return as soon as humanly possible to visit. I promise." She said to her concerned friend.

"I hope so."

"Kagome.." Rin said, looking down into the floor. "I want things to be okay between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I want us to be a family when all of this is done."

"I can't make any promises that Inuyasha will ever see Sesshomaru in a different light." Kagome said somberly. " But I guess we'll just have to see."

Rin wrapped her arms around Kagome and held her there for several minutes. Kagome did not know, but Rin knew that she may not be back at all. She wanted to savor this tender moment with her friend that she held very dear. She could smell the oil on Kagome's hair, and the medicinals in her clothes. Rin wanted to remember Kagome just like this. She smiled lovingly before releasing her friend, and heading for the door.

….

((One week later))

A large cabin sat in the middle of an empty village. What used to be homes were now firewood piled up in the corner. The gates surrounding this place stood tall, with only a small opening. Sounds of a fire crackling could be heard from inside the cabin. Inside, there was a tall handsome man, with medium black hair pulled back by a tie. He wiped sweat off his chin, which sported a very burly black beard. He was leaning over the fire with a succulent looking fish hanging off a small stick. His clothes were a little ragged, but it was clear that this was not a poor man, but a man of hard work. His body was very fit and tanned.

The man took a bite out of the fish and let out a sigh of happiness. Before he could take another bite, a big thud could be heard and the ground shook a little. He waited for another thud, but it never came. Cautiously curious, he placed his food down and headed to the door of the cabin to look outside.

Sure enough, there was a large dragon sitting just a couple yards away from his cabin. When he saw the dragon, he went to grab the weapon that was tied to his belt. But then he saw the dragon lift not one, but two heads and he stopped in his tracks. He knew this creature.

"Ah Un? How did you…"

He turned and saw a woman standing before him, with long hair running down to her feet and a somber smile across her face. Her black and purple kimono swayed in the wind with her black locks. He froze and looked at the woman in astonishment, because he remembered the face before him as well.

"Rin?..." He called out quietly.

She brushed her hair behind her ear and let out a small laugh before answering him.

"Hello, Kohaku."

….

(Cliffhanger. I know. You hate me. Stay tuned! )


	21. C21: Kohaku's Greif

(Sorry it took a while to post! The holidays proved to be busy and with very little privacy to be able to write. Did not help that I got a little OCD about the writing too. Thank you guys for being patient, I do want to start off by saying I hope everyone had a good holiday(if you celebrate one around this time of year that is.)! And then also I wanted to say that my story does not change based upon reviews or comments. I'm doing this for fun and for my own creative energy and I don't want to get discouraged from continuing the one thing I have left that's like.. my own thing. Between getting sick and family drama and all that mess that is my own life, this is really just the one thing I have to myself and I share it with you guys because most of you appreciate it. Literally no one I know personally knows that I write at all much less write fanfiction so it's kind of a bit of a special thing that I do for me. Thanks again guys for being great!)

Chapter 21: Kohaku's Greif

Kohaku stood there in silence for a few minutes but it seemed like hours, watching the silhouette of the young woman he used to admire. Only she had matured so much since the last time he had seen her face. He saw scars and lines that had not been there the last time he laid eyes upon her. But in all her changes, she had not lost an inch of her beauty. Her long hair swayed in the wind as she watched him in return. He didn't know how to respond to having her at his doorstep, so he simply looked on.

A small cat popped out from the cabin, sporting two tails on its backside. It stretched and yawned as though it had been napping. When it saw the dragon, its hair stuck up on it's back and it hissed angrily. Ah Un looked on at the little cat curiously.

Rin studied Kohaku's face, and smiled when she saw the burly look of a beard on his chin. He had done some more growing himself since the last time she had seen him. His chest and shoulders were huge and tanned. The thin boy was long gone, and he had been replaced by this boulder of a man.

"I'm sorry I did not give you notice." Rin said, waiting for him to speak.

Kohaku sighed and leaned up against the side of the door, he hid his face in his hand for a moment and then looked back up at her with a small smile on his face. "Didn't I tell you I never wanted to see you again?"

Rin smiled, taking a few more steps towards him until she was a mere foot away from his face. "No, If I remember it right I think what you said was you were going to leave and I would never HAVE to see you again. But I am choosing to see you now, and here you are."

"And who says you're welcome to come traipsing around here?" He shook his head, only half-serious. There had been a long time between then and now and he really was happy to see her again. "Maybe I don't want any troublemakers like you around."

"We've known each other far too long for me not to know that you will invite me into your home and be a gracious host." She teased him back.

He let his hand slide down the side of his door, moving his large body aside for her to enter. He motioned for her to enter, and she smirked, gliding past him. Kohaku looked to the cat and Ah Un. The little cat was still hissing defensively at Ah Un.

"Kirara, come now. Surely you remember Ah Un. Be nice." He scolded.

The cat stopped hissing and looked at Kohaku as he disappeared into the cabin. She looked back at Ah Un, and took a few steps towards him. Ah Un let both of his heads lay on the ground to be at the cat's level, watching Kirara as she sniffed him, and sat down contently next to him.

"Have a seat. I fear my dinner is half eaten and I wasn't expecting any guests, so I don't have much to offer you. Tea? " Kohaku said as Rin sat down cross legged.

"I am not hungry, thank you. Tea would be nice." She said, her eyes following him as he went to sit across from her.

He looked at her and shook his head. "Of all the faces I would expect at my door, yours was the last. What brings you all the way out here?"

"I need your help finding a reputable swordsmith. Your sister directed me to you for this information."

"Ah, my dear sister Sango, I fear I haven't visited in about 6 months. She's not pregnant again, Is she?" He joked.

Rin smiled. "No, not as far as I know. I don't think she can handle anymore."

Kohaku laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah I think I could help you with that. Gee, Rin, what do you need a sword for?"

"I have my reasons." Was all she replied.

"So I see that you are still associated with Sesshomaru." Kohaku said, his smile fading a bit. He knew she would not be with Ah Un otherwise.

"Yes." She said, not sure whether to tell him or not the true nature of her relationship with Sesshomaru. He was still a demon slayer, and would probably refuse to help her if she told him.

"Well, that's your choice, I suppose." Kohaku shook his head again. "You are so different now. Something about you has changed, and not just your looks."

"That's funny, I was going to say the same thing about you."

Kohaku laughed, looking down at his figure. "It's true. My father was a large man, therefore I am. It all happened overnight, really."

"And such a manly beard. You are quite the catch nowadays, aren't you? I'm surprised you haven't settled down. The girls must be knocking your doors down." She said, flattering him.

"Not too many girls around these parts. Although, on my business trips, I may get a little attention. You know, being a handsome demon slayer and all.." He said jokingly. "And what of you? I heard you went and got yourself married to a rich young Lord. I didn't peg you for that type."

A frown came over her face and he knew he had said the wrong thing.

"Oh." Kohaku said embarrassedly. "So you are?"

"I _was_." She said, looking to the floor.

Kohaku figured by her tone, that she must be referring to him as if he were no longer living. "Oh. My apologies."

"Don't worry about it, Kohaku. I don't want to talk about it. Let's talk about you." She said, inviting him to talk more about himself.

"Well obviously, I am still and always will be a demon slayer. I do some weapon repairs on the side, and some training for young men who are interested in the field. But there aren't many. So when I'm not busy, I am here in the old demon slayer village, just existing on my own. Well, not on my own. I mean there's Kirara."

He got up and began to pour hot water into the teapot he had out, and Rin found herself staring into Kohaku's chest, which was on display through his loose clothing. It was big, chizzled, and hairy. It was different than she was used to seeing, but it had it's own beauty to it. He was such a beastly man, she couldn't help but notice. She caught herself and brought herself back into focus.

"I am glad to hear that things are going well for you, Kohaku. Perhaps if you can help me with what I need, I am sure I can be more than kind monetarily."

"I don't care about your money, Rin. I will do you this as a favor for a friend, and you can thank me later." Kohaku said, handing her the cup of tea.

"Understood." She said, taking a sip.

He looked at Rin and thought of her when she was a little girl, huddled up next to him for comfort after Naraku had her kidnapped. Even in such a dark hour, she always seemed to keep a good outlook.

"Well, I don't plan on making any trips today, as the sun will be going down soon. So I can set you up in the spare room for the night." Kohaku said politely.

"I do not want to intrude, I can always set up camp outside with Ah Un." Rin said.

"Rin, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you sleep outside? You will sleep in the spare room."

"I can't argue with that." She said, smiling. "I feel so happy that you are going to help me. I was so certain when I showed up that you were going to send me away."

"Well, what happened back in the village was in the past. I was young and irrational and I apologize. I should have known you were not ready for such a change. I should have been more understanding."

"No, don't be sorry. I should be the sorry one. I was such a naïve girl." Rin argued. She shook her head and smiled in thought. "In a way, I wish I had decided to take the path you had opened up for me. It would have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering. And for what it's worth, I think we would have been very happy together."

Kohaku looked at Rin, her words bombarding him with sadness. There was a lump in his throat, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could cry.

"Alas, there is no point in harping on what could or could not have been. Life must go on." She continued, shrugging her shoulders.

Kohaku nodded in agreement, stroking his beard gently with his left hand. He could not believe that he was having _this_ conversation.

"The past is the past and it must stay there." He said calmly. "But I hope in the near future I may call you my friend."

Rin smiled at Kohaku, her eyes bright with the realization that her old friend still cared for her. "I hope so too."

…

" _I thought I had everything I wanted. My love by my side, a baby on the way.. But there is something amiss here and things are not as picture perfect as I expected them to be. In fact, they aren't perfect at all. After the battle that maimed my lord and love, I thought maybe things would improve with time. But I fear they've gotten worse. After his recovery, I was happy to see him up and back to his old speed. This has changed. I curse myself for wishing he wasn't as capable as he has become. He obsesses over finding Rin and destroying her. So far he's just sent out a few of his mena dn scouts to find out her whereabouts. She went from being the one he pined after, to his bitter enemy. Akio relays to me his plans for her, and it frightens me. I have never heard such gory things leave the mouth of my lord before. He hates her, which he should, as she is the one who maimed him. I hate to admit it, but I am starting to sympathize with her. He has changed so much from when I first met him. What happened to him is beyond me, but I am certain his missing limb is not helping his disposition. If one thing is for sure, it doesn't impede his strength. He lashes out at his men and a few of the servants. A few days ago, he attacked one of his men and left him severely injured. Over what, I haven't a clue. Appearances are nothing anymore. People are scared. There have been many run-aways in the castle lately, that I can link directly to his outbursts. His parents can not tame him.. his father is far too old and his Mother hides herself away in her room, avoiding him. I am useless, as I grow large and am less capable of calming him. I am afraid that I do not want this anymore. What does the future hold for us? For our child?"_

Ami rubbed her baby bump before sitting up, and looking to her right at Akio, who was sound asleep. She was careful not to make any sounds as she stood up and tip toed over to the mirror. She looked at herself for a moment and then looked away, not wanting to see herself. Her self worth was so diminished, she did not want to think of her appearance. She thought she looked too pale and tired from worrying.

She heard a small creak and she looked to the door. Kai's hand was on the other side of the door, motioning for her to come out. She nodded and slowly got up, walked over to the door, making sure to close the door quietly behind her. She looked across at Kai, and when she saw the young girl's face, she looked away. It was clear as day that Akio had had a violent episode, and her friend had been the target. Ami's hands began to shake, and Kai reached out for them comfortingly.

"Not you, too." Ami's voice was shaky.

"Shhhh. Ami. Be silent." Kai chided quietly, looking to the closed door. "I just wanted to tell you goodbye."

Ami nodded her head, her eyes red and sunken. "I understand, Kai. Good luck."

Kai looked sadly at her friend and quietly pleaded with her. "Ami, come with me, please. We can find a new village and get jobs together. I can help you with your baby. You can't stay here."

"I can't just do that, Kai. I carry his child. Besides, he hasn't touched me. He won't." She replied.

"He's not stupid, Ami. He wouldn't risk his child." The girl looked at Ami harshly. "When the baby is no longer within you, do you think he will hesitate?"

"You suppose I do not think about these things already." Ami replied somberly. "I'm sorry, but I can't go anywhere in this shape. Besides, I have to keep hope that once the baby is born things will get better."

Kai turned and grabbed a tea tray that she had sitting nearby, shoving it in Ami's arms. "Fine. I can't stall any longer, Ami. I only brought this so there would be no suspicions until I am long gone from here."

Ami paused for minute and nodded. Kai's safety was more important than Akio's trust, and she knew this. "I will try to buy you as much time as I can. Good bye, Kai."

"Good bye, my friend."

Ami nodded and watched Kai as she disappeared down the hall. Kai was still very young, and it made Ami's heart bleed to see her desperate enough to leave. Her cheeks turned red with anger as she re-entered the room. Her eyes glared at the sleeping Akio. It was almost as if he didn't realize all the detriment he was causing around him. Seeing her friend leave had left her so upset and angry, she could not hide her frustration. Ami let the tea tray slam as she placed it down on the table. Akio jerked up from his slumber, looking around to see what had caused the noise. He saw Ami with a sad, angry look on her face, pouring tea into a cup.

"No Kai this morning?" He said tiredly, reaching for the cup she had just poured.

"No, she did not seem to want to enter the room this morning." Ami said angrily, shaking her head.

Akio sighed, knowing that Ami was upset about the way he had attacked Kai. "Kai is not some innocent child, anymore, Ami. She is defiant to me and speaks of me when my back is turned."

Ami couldn't have this conversation with him. She made her way over to the seat by the mirror and hunched over, holding her own head in frustration. Her hair hung over in a stringy fashion over her face and lap. She breathed shakily, afraid she might have her own outburst if he spoke anymore. Akio sighed and took another sip of his tea, staring at Ami who was clearly very upset with him.

"Ami.." He tried to get her attention, placing his tea down. "Ami."

"Just don't speak to me right now, please." She managed to say through her hands.

She could feel his eyes darting to her before she even lifted her head. Her eyes were red and filled with tears as she looked at his reflection in the mirror. She watched as he stood up, and stood there with his hand rested on his hip. He looked as if he were waiting for her to take it back. She stood up and turned to look at him.

"I can't live with this indiscriminate violence. You are going crazy. I love you but I can't take it anymore!" She shouted, shaking her head. "Please, you can still get better. It is not too late to lay aside your hatred for others and live peacefully."

Akio's arm loosened and rested at his side. A look of surprise came over his face, mostly due to the fact he had never heard Ami raise her voice before. Akio was not unaware that he had lost it. He knew in his heart that he had become obsessed and deranged. He once wanted the admiration of his men, his servants, and the villagers, but now that things were getting out of hand all he wanted was their fear and respect before he lost everything. He didn't want to lose his power, so he was fighting for it. He looked into Ami's eyes and knew she was at wits end. His was conflicted, and his hand shook at his side.

" _What have I done? Even Ami, the most loyal girl I have ever known, curses me. I can stop all of this now, I can get better." He told himself, looking into her pleading eyes. But then another feeling overtook him, and darkness took a hold of him. "No. You cannot let people walk all over you like Rin did. You were kind and gave her everything, and all she did was disobey you and love another behind your back. Ami will do the same if you let her. They are all the same, aren't they? I cannot allow this."_

Ami saw the confliction in his eyes and the sweat coming off of him after her outburst. For a few minutes, he was just standing there, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. She became concerned and began to walk to the door.

"Ami.." He said as her hand touched the door. Her eyes closed tightly, and she sighed as she turned around to face him again. "Don't walk away from me."

"I don't want to, but you are pushing me away." She said, a single tear running down her cheek. She held her stomach close with one of her hands.

"Are you implying that you are going to leave me?" He queried.

"What? No, I.."

"You will run away from me? Just like her.. You are just like her." He said irrationally, turning his back to her.

"No, I'm not. I love you." She said defensively.

"Don't lie!" He grabbed up the teapot and threw it at the opposite wall, and it smashed into a million pieces. The hot liquid sizzled as it ran down the wall.

Ami shouted as she began to reach again for the door handle. Akio stomped over and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him before she could leave.

"You are not going anywhere. You have no right to leave. You will come and go as I say. You are mine, and so is the child." He snarled.

Ami covered her mouth to stifle the cries that came forth from her vulnerable position, her eyes never leaving his. When he saw her do this, he immediately sofetened, his face dropping its angry demeanor. Now having gained her fear, there was no need to waste his energy. He let go of her wrist and shook his head, sighing.

"What am I thinking?" He said aloud, shaking his head. He began to run his fingers through her hair, and brushed away her tears with his large hand. "Of course you're not going anywhere. You would be a fool to think you could. And you are no fool. Right?"

She nodded her head violently, wanting only for him to stop this tirade.

"Besides, even if you decided to and were successful, where would you go? Even if I let you walk out on me, there wouldn't be anywhere for my sweet little Ami to turn. No village would take you or even want to take you in. Look at you. No village wants some young, unmarried, pregnant whore among them."

"Stop, please." She whispered, his words stuck right into her like a knife in her chest. Her heart was breaking as he talked about her like she was nothing. Her breaths were ragged and inconsistent.

He pulled her into him, wrapping his arm around her possessively. Now that he had pummeled her self worth back down to nothing, he felt secure in his position. He kissed her forehead, in an attempt to calm her.

"Breathe, Ami. I am not going to hurt you. I am merely trying to drive some sense into you. IF I did not care for you, I would not fight for you like I do. Just the thought of you leaving me drives me insane. Nobody can care for you as I do. No one else will."

"Yes, I understand. I'm sorry." Ami cried, desperate for his silence. She would have said anything to make him stop. She did not want to hear any more excuses. She let him wipe away her tears as she nodded her head. She knew that her situation was not ideal, but she also accepted what he said as the harsh truth. That she had to be compliant for her own benefit and the safety of her unborn child.

" _It's true. I have no other options. I have to accept his words. I have to accept him. I have to accept everything. I can no longer afford to dream that he will ever be his old self again. I have learned my lesson. Life is cruel. But I cannot give up on it. There is a child within me, and they are the most important thing right now. I will have to believe Akio, even though I don't think I can anymore. I have no choice."_

….

"Hey." Rin woke up half asleep, to the sound of a deep voice, and a large hand tapping her gently on the leg. "Rin."

"Huh?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes. Rin let her head fall back and her eyes re-close.

"Hey you." The tap came a little harder this time and her eyes shot open as she jerked up.

"Oh, hey Kohaku." She whispered, relaxing. "Thank you for waking me."

"It's late morning, lazy bones. I tried to get you up earlier but you are like a log when you sleep."

"Forgive me." She said, rubbing her cheek. "All this traveling makes me tired."

He was already half way across the room when she said this. He tossed an apple her way, and she fumbled catching it in her tired disposition. Taking a bite out of it, she stood up, her skinny legs wobbly from lack of use. She watched as he grabbed a bag and his weapon, re-entering the room.

"Ready?" He asked. "We are a good walking distance from my friend, so we'd better get going as soon as possible."

"Couldn't we just take Ah Un? I know you aren't afraid of the big softy." She argued tiredly.

"I am okay with Ah Un, Rin. But my friend will not be. I cannot bring even Kirara around him. He is not fond of demons, dragons, anything. If he sees the dragon, he will refuse to do anything for you."

"He sounds understanding and reasonable." She said, grabbing her bag and tossing it over her back. They began to walk outside.

"Well, he isn't. But he is the most talented swordsmith in the West. Except for maybe that old demon Totosai."

"Tell me about it." Rin said, shaking her head.

"You know Totosai?"

"Well, I sort of asked him first."

"That's funny." Kohaku laughed.

"Why is that so funny?" Rin put her hands on her hips.

"No offense, Rin. But you would never be able to handle anything he made."

"Not you, too." She rolled her eyes. "All of you men are the same. You have no reason to believe that I couldn't."

"That's true that I've never seen you in action before. Maybe we can face off when we get back to my place." He joked.

"You're on." Rin said, smirking.

Ah Un was sitting outside, and looked towards them. Rin rubbed him comfortingly.

"I will be back soon, Ah Un." She whispered. She let out a small laugh when she noticed the little creature resting on his neck. She leaned down and laid a small kiss upon the head of a sleeping Kirara.

"It would seem the dragon has fallen for the cat." Rin laughed, looking over to Kohaku. "What an odd couple they would make."

Kohaku shook his head, laughing. "Watch out, Ah Un. She's more high maintenance than she looks."

The dragon looked over to Kohaku and then back to Rin. He watched as they both disappeared into the distance.

An hour later, Kohaku and Rin were still walking on their way to their destination. They chatted along the way, not speaking of anything important. They joked and teased each other. Kohaku sighed, looking at Rin laughing. It was good to see her happy face again. Although, it made him wonder.

"So.. Rin.." he coughed.

"Yes?" She asked, smiling.

"I hope you don't mind me asking. What happened to your husband?"

The smile on her face faded a bit, and she took a moment, looking to the ground.

"Kohaku, I am only going to tell you this because I trust you and we've been through a lot together.. Sesshomaru chose him for me. I never wanted him. But he insisted I take a life of luxury over a life with love, for my own sake. I thought I could learn to love him, and sometimes I think there were traces of it there. But he was never more than a friend in my mind. I was not meant to be his wife. Things got very bad between us. He became irrational and violent."

"Oh.."

"I cut him really deep. I don't think he lived."

"What do you mean you cut him?"

"He was attacking Jaken. So I took a sword and cut him. There was so much blood." She said shaking her head.

Kohaku put his arm around her shoulder. "Well, it sounds like he had it coming to him."

Rin looked up at Kohaku and she felt like she had just gotten so much off of her back. She started to feel better about it.

"Here we are." Kohaku said, pointing to a cute little cabin that was past some trees. It stood alone, in the middle of the woods. It was a cute secluded little place. Rin smiled when she saw it, relieved that their walk was over. She took a deep breath and dropped her bag.

"Keiji! We've got you surrounded! Come out unarmed and we'll take you alive!" Kohaku shouted loudly, making a voice to disguise his own.

"Is that so?" A voice came from inside. Rin watched as a large man exited the home. He was not much larger than Kohaku, but was much more burly looking. He was carrying a sword, and Rin thought it looked almost as big as her. When he saw Kohaku, he stabbed his sword into the ground and smiled. "Kohaku, you ugly bastard, I haven't seen you in a dogs age!"

The men exchanged slaps on the back and laughed. "It is nice to see you, Keiji!"

Rin stood quietly, smiling and waiting for Kohaku to introduce her. But Keiji noticed her before Kohaku had the chance.

"Oh my stars. What a little fox we have here. Kohaku, is this your girl?"

"Keiji, this is my friend Rin. She's an old friend, so be nice. I know how hard that is for you."

"Oh, he's just joking around. I'm always nice." Keiji said, approaching Rin. "It is nice to meet you, miss Rin. My, I must say, I haven't seen anything as lovely as you in a while."

"Charmed, I'm sure." Rin said, smiling a polite smile. "It is nice to meet you, Keiji."

"So.." Keiji said, turning to Kohaku. "What can I do for you this time , Kohaku?"

"I am not the customer this time, Keiji. It is Rin who needs you to craft a sword for her."

"You want me to make a sword for a woman?" Keiji laughed. When no one else laughed with him, he began to cough. Rin stood there with her arms crossed, unamused although she didn't say anything.

"Surely, you must put aside your close mindedness, Keiji. For once. After all, my sister was a great demon slayer in her career."

"Yes, yes. You've told me of her. Perhaps. But look how skinny this one is. Could she even carry a sword without falling over?"

"You can speak to me, and the answer is yes." Rin said, moving to look him in the face. She looked like a pip squeak next to him, but she had to display some dominance if she wanted this man's respect.

"Feisty, feisty. I'll make you a sword, alright. As long as you can afford it. You're going to have to pay good money for it."

"I can afford it. Who says that your work is worthy of such a great reward?" Rin challenged him.

"Hmph. I'll show you." Keiji said, making his way back over to the sword he had placed in the ground. Grabbing it out, he held it up so Rin could get a good look at it. He brushed past her roughly, and she watched with her arms crossed, making sure to look unimpressed.

Keiji found a nearby tree and stopped. He pulled back with the sword and in one single blow, the tree was disconnected from its roots. Rin gasped as he pushed the tree with his foot, making it fall in the opposite direction so it wouldn't fall on them. He twirled it around his arm and then stabbed it back into the ground, looking at Rin. She was impressed, and it shone on her face. She looked to Kohaku and then back to Keiji.

"Um, I think we can uh.. arrange something." She said, trying not to lose her indifferent position.

Keiji smiled. "I don't care what you do with it, as long as I get my dues. I will have to make a little smaller I presume, so you will be able to hold it." He reached out for her hands, inspecting them. "Such small hands. It will be a different job, but I will take it."

"Thank you, Keiji," Kohaku said, smiling.

"Although I have to ask, what is such a pretty little thing like you getting a sword crafted for? Surely, there must be a man more than willing to put himself on the line for you. Why, if I had a girl like you around, she would never have to worry about protecting herself."

Rin couldn't believe how haughty and obnoxious he was. "I do not want a man to put himself on the line for me. I just need the sword. If you want my money, you will treat me with a little more respect."

"Touchy, touchy." Keiji replied. "Alright, well give me about two weeks time. Of course, I will need a deposit."

"Keiji.." Kohaku started.

"You will have it, then.." Rin said, grabbing her bag.

When Rin slipped Keiji his deposit, he smiled widely and shoved it into his top. "Looks like we are in business, princess."

"Don't call me that." She sighed, looking over to Kohaku who had an apologetic look on his face. "I want to go now."

She turned to Keiji, and nodded. "Good bye, Keiji. So great meeting you." She said sarcastically before throwing her bag back over her shoulder and taking off the opposite way. It was clear that she was not happy. Kohaku sighed and looked over to Keiji with a desperate look on his face.

"I told you to be nice." He said. He shook his head.

Kohaku began to run after Rin, and Keiji chuckled and shook his head.

When Kohaku caught up with Rin, he took her hand gently to turn her around. "Rin.."

"What do you want, Kohaku?" She turned, her cheeks were red form embrassment.

"I'm sorry about my friend, Rin. He is the best swordsmith money can buy, but he himself is a little hard to deal with."

Rin sighed, feeling bad that he was the one apologizing to her. "It's okay, Kohaku. It's not like you agree with him or anything."

"So we are still on?" Kohaku said, trying to lighten up the conversation.

Rin smiled and gave him a light punch on the arm. "You bet. But you better not go easy on me just because I'm a girl."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

…..

" _I really hope he holds off on telling the others about the human girl. There is so much at risk here. It's best we keep quiet for as long as we can."_

The Lady Mother's dainty white hand sifted through neatly cut papers. She grabbed a wooden tool and dabbed it in ink. Her words looked so elegant as she wrote out her notices to the many allies that would be attending this meeting at Sesshomaru's new estate. She sighed heavily. She could not stop thinking about her son's recent decision regarding a mate. He was following in his Father's footsteps, and it didn't sit well with her. It was not her wish to see him with a human, but it was also not her wish to see him unhappy. So being the devoted mother she was, she accepted it. She was caught off guard when she heard a large thump down the hallway.

"Who could be making this kind of noise in my home?" Her eyebrows tightened as she gently placed everything down.

She stood up and began to walk down the hall, and as she did, she began to hear two familiar voices going back and forth. It was Gina and Monomaru speaking, and she could tell by Gina's tone that she was not happy. The Lady Mother became curious. The two had been speaking in their native language, and she only understood a few words that they were exchanging. She folded her hands together and watched them from a distance. Gina's voice became louder as she began to push and shout at him.

"Gina, calm yourself." He interrupted her, with a harsh tone.

"Why should I? Do you have no loyalty to us, Father? Does it mean nothing to you that we are your daughters?"

"Do not question my devotion to you and Hana. I have given the both of you everything."

"So you will not denounce our alliance with him?"

"How could I? The Eastern and Western dog demons always have and always will be allies. This cannot be denounced over a petty quarrel. I don't know what happened to start this argument. But I know you two have a way of starting trouble like no other. This will not escalate to violence because I will not allow it. You will both have to learn to behave normally and get along with him."

"You do not side with us. I am angry with you, Father." She said, crossing her arms.

"Well, be angry at me, then. This does not change anything." He rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Where is your sister anyways? She must also know this."

Gina's angry disposition shifted a little and she shrugged. "She's not feeling well, she couldn't come with me."

"Hana is ill?" Monomaru raised an eyebrow curiously. "Then I shall return with you."

"No!" Gina objected. "You can't come back with me."

"If my daughter is ill, I will go to her. You are one to speak of loyalty."

"You're not coming back with me! Neither of us want you around if you aren't going to be a man and take our side." Gina shouted angrily.

"You test my patience, Gina. As always." Monomaru growled. "This old man does not want to lose his temper, so I suggest you leave."

"I am not afraid of you, Father." Gina said, turning on her heels. "Not anymore."

The Lady Mother stood perfectly still as she watched Gina walk towards her. She stayed silent as the young dog demon realized that she was standing there, not stopping her persistent path towards the door. Just before Gina brushed by, she turned her eyes to look at Sesshomaru's mother. She glared at her and continued by without a single word, heading for the door. The Lady was shocked, as she hadn't seen so much animosity in a long time. She didn't know quite how to respond to it. It had been a long time since she challenged any other demon to a battle, as most around here knew that she would prevail. But there were social obligations that kept her from calling out the young female for her glares and rudeness. The Lady Mother watched as she left and then turned back to see Monomaru taking a seat, rubbing his head. She started towards him slowly, not wanting to look too eager. She placed her hands on his shoulders gently.

"Monomaru.." She started. "What could that possibly have been about?"

"It would appear your son and my daughters do not get along. I hoped that things would not be this way, but I would be lying if I said I didn't see it coming. My daughters are troublemakers, as their mother was. And just as headstrong."

"I see." She said, taking in the information. "My son is just as headstrong. It is no surprise their personalities would clash. I didn't even know that they really saw each other outside of this palace. Sesshomaru never spoke of it. What could they possibly have to fight about though?"

"It was something he said to Hana. Gina didn't really get into the details, she was too busy jumping down my throat to get me to call off our alliance with the both of you. I don't see how she thought she would be successful. I will do no such thing. I have no clue what is going on, but we will soon know."

The Lady's eyebrows tightened as she thought about Sesshomaru, Hana, and Gina. She puzzled over something he could possibly said or done to make Gina so angry. Surely, he wouldn't insult them without reason.

"Perhaps we kept them from each other too long. I know the plan had always been to introduce them, one of the girls would take to Sesshomaru, he would succumb and settle down. With our families joined, there would be hope for our kind."

"Hope is not lost. There are others. We will see them all soon enough. Besides, Plans change. Did ours not?" He teased, brushing her hair with his hand. "I came here to unite our families once again through my daughters. But then I saw you. And I haven't stopped thinking of you since." He paused. "If our children must hate one another, let us love each other more."

He stood quickly, lifting the Lady with ease into his arms like a bride on her wedding night. Her arms wrapped around his neck, she smiled leaning in to kiss his lips as he carried her off down the halls of the palace.

…

It was still bright out when Kohaku and Rin made it back to his home at the old demon slayers village. The two were glad to see that they were finally back. Ah Un and Kirara were there waiting for them. Kirara was now large, and her huge fangs shown through her mouth. The dragon and the cat demon were both chewing on a large bone together. Rin laughed and shook her head.

"Ah Un, you've been hunting for food without me." She teased, rubbing him gently.

"I got it handled. I will head to the nearby river and catch us some dinner. That is, if you will stay the night."

Rin turned to Kohaku, and the smile on her face seemed to dissipate a little. She turned to Ah Un and then back to Kohaku.

"I do not want to impose, Kohaku. You don't need to do these things for me." She said.

"Rin, you are my guest, and I don't get many. Please, your sword will be finished in two weeks. Just spend the passing time here with me. Where else will you go?"

"Perhaps you are right." Rin said, nodding. "Okay. I will stay but you have to accept my help around here."

Kohaku smiled, nodding. "Of course."

"Besides, there's still time yet to find food. You challenged me earlier, and I do not want you backing out under the guise of being polite." Rin's mischievous smile shone through her thin lips.

"Oh, you think I forgot about that, now?" Kohaku laughed.

He disappeared into his home, and Rin shook her head, turning to Ah Un. She rubbed his nose tenderly, before planting a kiss on him.

"My handsome friend." She smiled at him lovingly. "Do you think we should stay a little longer?"

The dragon nudged Rin, and looked to Kirara before going back to chewing on the bone.

"I see you are happy with this. You big flirt."

She heard the sound of two big feet coming towards her and she turned.

"Let's see what you've got." Kohaku said, before tossing a weapon in her direction.

Rin snagged it out of the air, moving away from Ah Un. She smirked, skillfully holding the sword in his direction. It was a tad on the heavy side, and not what she was used to. Kohaku swing in her direction and she blocked it, pushing back as hard as she could, making him take a step backwards. He didn't even flinch as he swung it again in the other direction. They continued on, swinging and blocking each other's attacks, although it was very clear Kohaku had the upper hand as Rin was breathing loudly and shouting with her swings and he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Ah Un and Kirara watched them, and turned to each other as if they were annoyed by the two humans interrupting them. Rin swung one last time at him, grunting as she did. Kohaku blocked her swing with his sword and she pushed down. Kohaku smirked as he lifted his foot, pushing Rin to the ground with it. Her sword flew in the other direction as she fell onto her back. She moved quickly to get up but stopped in her tracks when she saw Kohaku standing over her, sword pointed in her direction. A smile crawled onto her face.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. You exceeded my expectations although you could use some work." He commented, dropping his sword and leaning in to extend a hand to her. She grabbed his hand, letting him help her up. "Do not forget, Rin, I've been training since I was a young boy. So don't let me discourage you. A few more years of training and you could be very good."

"Perhaps you are right. I just wish I had more time." She agreed.

"Well listen, you and I are going to spending a little time together over the next two weeks, why not let me give you a little guidance?"

Rin thought about it for a moment and nodded. What would be the harm in letting Kohaku give her some pointers? She breathed out, her legs sore and tired from the day already. She cursed herself for letting her skills become rusty when she was inbetween training with Eito and now. But then her eyes trailed to Kohaku who had picked up both of the swords, and was walking towards his cabin. He was the image of brute strength, and all around masculinity. She thought about how any other girl in her position should want to jump his bones. She laughed silently to herself and shook her head.

…

Jaken was resting outside of the castle, soaking in the sunlight of the day. It had been a while since Sesshomaru had gone off without him and he was left behind with nothing to do but keep watch over the empty estate of his Lord. He enjoyed this time of peace and quiet, knowing that it would not last long. He closed his eyes and breathed out, smiling.

"Gee, I hope Rin is alright." He said aloud to himself. "She never said how long it should be until she returns. That silly human girl is getting herself into trouble, if I know her. I'm afraid the whole while she was spending her childhood years with us, she should have been among other people, and all of this would never have happened. Although I must say, Sesshomaru has grown more empathetic and reasonable ever since he revived her as a young girl. I guess her intrusion in our lives had a purpose. But now he intends to have her as his mate, and I don't know what to think anymore."

When he opened his eyes, he saw a faint shadow in the clouds in the distance. He recognized this shadow as his Lord, coming back from his errands. He saw the great dog demon sailing through the sky at great speeds and stood up, preparing himself to greet him. The wind picked up the closer he got. There were the huge thuds of his paws hitting the ground and then a tornado wind surrounded him. When the wind dissipated, Sesshomaru stood before Jaken.

"My lord!" Jaken chimed happily, but then his eyes widened when he got a closer look at Sesshomaru's face. It had been cut into, as there were several red stripes on his face. The cuts had been deep, but were already starting to heal. Jaken took one guess as to what it was from, knowing that Sesshomaru had meant to pay a visit in the East. "Lord Sesshomaru, your face! It does look like you've been attacked."

"Jaken, is that not obvious?" Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, moving towards the castle.

"Well, of course it is, my Lord. I'd assumed neither of them would be too happy with you. But gee, she really cut you up good."

Sesshomaru glared at Jaken.

"But then again, I'm sure you came out on top of that fight, my Lord. A female dog demon is no match for Sesshomaru!"

"It is not my intention to fight either of them. If I destroyed them, the alliance between the East and West would be destroyed forever. Not exactly a wise decision to make as a new leader."

"You mean you just walked away after she did that you?" Jaken argued. "Sheesh, you are a merciful one."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as he strolled past Jaken and into the establishment. He made his way up the stairs of the castle, letting his fingers linger on the ivory rail. When he made it to his chambers, he shut the door behind him and closed his eyes. He wanted more than ever for Rin to be around, but thought it was also better for her to be away for now, as his situation with the two dog demoness' was turning sour. He did not want either of them finding out about his human mate quite yet, as they might go after her if they did. If it were another demoness, he could count of them backing off. But he knew how much Hana and Gina despised humans.

He opened up a small chest in the corner of the room, and reached inside of it. He took out the beautiful kimono he had gifted to her when she was there with him. Slowly, Sesshomaru lifted the fabric to his face, taking a deep breath in. He enjoyed smelling her scent where it lingered, and wished now more than ever that she was at his side.

" _I do hope you find what it is you are looking for." He thought, letting the image of Rin burn into the back of his mind._

…

Rin was lying around in the grass, looking into the bright noon sky. She had been training with Kohaku for a few days now and was enjoying herself. He was a tougher teacher than Eito, seeing that he was much younger and more able bodied. But she enjoyed the challenge. She wanted to be as fit as possible before moving on from here. Kohaku seemed to be enjoying himself as well. She saw a shadow coming towards her and threw her fingers over her eyes to better see it. Kohaku sat down next to her and sighed.

"Rin, might you be ready?" He teased, giving her a small tap on the shoulder.

"A few more minutes of this sun, please." She smiled.

He smiled back, letting his back hit the grass. They stared up into the sky together for several moments in silence.

"Kohaku.." Rin spoke softly. Her gaze fixed on a passing cloud.

"Yes?" He looked over to her.

"Why is it that you choose to live alone like this? Surely, you must get very lonely."

"Well.." He started. "Living within a village isn't for me. I prefer to be on my own, not surrounded by other people."

"Is that why you have not found yourself someone yet?" She asked.

"I suppose so. Any girls that have taken interest become scared at the idea of being away from their childhood villages, where their families and friends are. I can say I understand that. I miss my family a lot."

"You still have Sango."

"Yes.. but I am still plagued by what happened all those years ago. I have a hard time being around her, even though I love her so much."

"I understand…" She said, there was another bit of silence before she spoke again. "Kohaku?"

"Yes, Rin."

"Do you remember a lot from being under Naraku's control?"

The question hit him pretty hard. His eyes grew sad.

"I remember everything." He said, his voice deepening.

"That must have been horrible. I apologize for being so forward." She said.

"It's okay. I know that my hesitance to be around people has everything to do with him. He forced me to kill my family, and tons of innocent people. My body was under his control, but I was still there inside of my body, watching these horrible things happen. And with my own hands no less."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rin rolled to turn to him, resting her head on her hand.

"It's just.." Kohaku paused. "I am the only one who survived being under his control. As a human boy, I should have been the most likely to perish. But I didn't. Now I have to live with these terrible memories for the rest of my life. I saw the things he did, that went on in the castle and out. Things that can't be forgotten."

"You were working against Naraku in secret with Kagura, were you not?" Rin asked.

Kohaku looked to Rin. "Yes.. I wish I could forget her. When she found out I was no longer under Naraku's mind control, she spared my life. Knowing that she suffered so much does not being me any comfort."

"Sesshomaru was there when she died, he said she was smiling. Perhaps she was at peace." Rin suggested, trying to make him feel better.

"If you knew the kind of cruel creature Naraku was, you'd know that couldn't possibly be true." He said, sitting up and hugging his knees.

Rin watched him do this, and for a moment saw the young, scared boy that Kohaku once was. It was obvious his days under Naraku's control still haunted him greatly. She placed her hand on his shoulder in an act of sympathy. He accepted her kind gesture with a smile and then stood up, extending a hand to help her up.

"Come on, then, let's get to it."

…..

Time flew by at the little cabin at the old demon slayers village, and Rin could hardly believe that the time had come to go. Her time here had been nice, and she was glad to have been able to reconnect with Kohaku. She had always had an odd closeness to him as children. Both being young and in such a hostile environment had given them common ground. She watched him stroke his beard in thought as he got a fire going to boil some water. She smiled, and looked outside.

"I am excited to see the finished product." Rin said.

Kohaku nodded, poking the small flame with a stick. She looked out the window and saw the little cat Kirara kneading on Ah Un's back. The dragon's heads rested on the ground as she did this, accepting the little tug of her claws.

"I feel awful separating those two, though. They've taken to each other quite well." She continued.

Kohaku looked out the window and smiled. "They are good friends. It is disappointing they should separate so soon."

Rin shook her head, because she knew he was not speaking of Kirara and Ah Un. He obviously was depressed that their time together was coming to an end. Rin herself was a little disappointed. She had learned a lot from him and he had always been such a good friend to her.

" _If I stick around, things will get complicated. I cannot let myself be led astray."_

"I'm sorry, but I must move on after we collect my weapon today."

Kohaku dropped his stick and turned to her. "You have been very silent about your intentions, Rin. I would like it if you shared with me the purpose of all that you are preparing for. It is obvious you have reason to arm yourself. What are you doing, Rin?"

"That is my business, Kohaku."

She saw his face turn, as he became offended. "Surely, you can seek out my help and accept it. Spend two weeks with me and find out my deepest and darkest fears.. but when it comes time for you to open up, you refuse. Why do I bother?"

"Kohaku, please, I am your friend. But there are things about me that I know you will not understand or accept."

"What could I possibly not understand?" He argued.

"Kohaku, I have promised myself to Sesshomaru." She said abruptly.

Kohaku was silent for several moments, watching the water react to the heat of the flame.

"Of course you have. We all should have known this day would come. That you would choose him over a normal life."

"Don't speak to me of normal." She said defensively. "We both know that you are just as strange as I."

He stood up, pacing back and forth a little as if he had something to say. Rin's lips curved into a frown, knowing her reconnection with Kohaku was soon going to fall by the wayside. She had feared this moment for the two weeks she had spent with him.

"Still, your relationship with him makes me sick to my stomach. He's had you on your knees since you were a child. You worship the ground he walks on."

"That is not true, Kohaku. You just don't know him like I do."

"I spent enough time with him to know the kind of man he is. You are caged. You wait for him then and you wait for him now."

"You don't know what you are talking about.. He is the one who waits for me. If I was caged as you say I would not be here. I would be with him." She said, standing up, her voice becoming shaky from a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Well, why don't you just go home to him then? Why are you here?" Kohaku went on. He threw his hands up in the air, as if to signal he was giving up.

"Kohaku.. Why must you say such hurtful things?"

"Why must you come back into my life and taunt me with what could have been?" He retorted. "To know that you still are and will always belong to Sesshomaru destroys me. You have so much potential to be so much more than his prized possession. This freedom you have is merely in your head. As soon as he decides he cannot wait for you, he will pull you back by your chains and you will not look back."

Rin felt her neck grow hot with anger. She stomped over to Kohaku, and lifted her hand, bringing it across his cheek in a large slapping motion. His reddened face turned slightly, as he stood there with his arms crossed. She took a step back, looking nto his face. His eyes were half closed as he looked off into nowhere. She hadn't meant to lose her temper at him. She stood there, feeling conflicted. She wanted to apologize for striking out at him but she was so angry at him.

Kohaku's eyes closed and she saw a little tear forming in his eye. It made its way down his cheek, and Rin felt her heart turn. Striking out at her friend who cared so much for her, no matter what he said, was not something she ever wanted to do. As soon as she saw it fall to the floor, she reached out for him. She pulled him into her, and he fell to his knees. His face buried into her, the soft muffled sounds of cries could be heard from Rin's kimono. She held him there, not letting him go.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing he did not cry because of her attack. The large man she held was still the sensitive boy she knew.

She felt like a monster for coming out here and accepting his generosities. She knew very well that he was likely going to start to get feelings again. It was not as if she didn't have them. Kohaku was the kind of guy she should have seen herself with. But unfortunately, love is not reasonable. It does not adhere to any rules or standards. And she did not love Kohaku as she loved Sesshomaru.

Kohaku stood, and turned his back.

"I apologize. A man should never cry like that." He said softly. "My words were cruel. For you to come back around causes me great pain."

"All men should cry like that. I am sorry, Kohaku, I will leave by myself. I know where I need to go." She said, turning.

"You don't have to."

"I cannot stand to hurt you. I want nothing more than to hold you and love you as a friend. I hope you understand."

"I understand, Rin." He whispered.

Kohaku never turned, and after a few moments she turned away from him and began to walk out of the cabin. He heard her footsteps. When he no longer heard them, he looked to the window. Outside he could see Rin somberly separating Ah Un from Kirara. The dragon was hesitant but relented, letting Rin climb atop him before he took off. The cat watched them leave and slowly made its way inside, jumping into the arms of Kohaku. He held her close to his face, rubbing his nose into her warm fur.

"You want some lunch, sweet girl?" He asked, letting her climb his shoulder.

He walked over to the boiling pot, and threw in some ingredients. He sighed, taking a spoon and stirring.

" _Maybe I shouldn't have let her go alone like that. I should have gone with her.. But of what help would I be to her? Best I leave it alone and pick up where I left off.. But yet I can't fight this bad feeling."_

((Oh my gosh, I meant for so much more to happen in this chapter but then I was like 4 or 5 weeks in and 10,000 words and I couldn't let you guys wait any longer. A lot more to come next chapter. Again, please if you leave a review try not to guess whats gonna happen next or stuff along those lines. Because nobody knows what I have up my sleeve! Even things that seem obvious could go in a whole nother direction. Thanks for reading! Now that things are back to normal next chapter shouldn't take as long! Thanks xoxo.. OH and check out my other fic The Dark Castle if you have time I just posted the second chap to that thankkkksss)


	22. Chapter 22: Past Mistakes

(Chapter 22! Finally, I know. Sorry my chapters take a long time, they are a lot longer than they used to be.

Marie Plant, thank you so much for your kind review! I'm glad you like it. I work hard on these chapters so it's nice to get positive feedback.

And whoever Guest is, thank you for getting me into gear! I was kinda being slow about finishing this chapter and your comment put me in the get it out there mode. Don't worry.. I'm not ditching this fic. I wouldn't do that to you guys. I understand I have a lot more people who like the way I write than people who don't so I'm not gonna get discouraged. It just takes a while for me to write and get the chapters the way I want them to be because I can be anal.

Again, thanks for everybody who reads. You guys are great. xoxo)

Chapter 22: Past Mistakes

Kagome awoke to the sound of yelling in the room over. She sighed, rolling onto her back. Inuyasha had been gone for a couple of days on a job with Miroku and she was at wit's end taking care of her daughter alone, in addition to her job as the village healer. When she looked outside, she figured it must be late at night. She threw a plain white kimono on and stumbled into the room of her daughter. The little girl was standing up in her crib, angry.

"Mama!" The girl screamed, to Kagome's dismay. It seemed her child always needed her attention, and never let her sleep.

"What can I do for you, my love?" Kagome said, taking her out of the crib and holding her. She was getting to be a heavy child and Kagome's back ached. She sat down on the floor with her to take the stress off of it.

Azami began to pull down Kagome's kimono, exposing her breast, which was red with bite marks from previous feedings. Kagome sighed heavily. "Hungry again?"

The child attempted to repeat the word to her before latching on. Kagome hissed when she did this, but held onto the little girl tightly. Kagome rocked back and forth tiredly, as if she were about to fall asleep.

A knock could be heard in the doorway of her home and her eyes shot open. Kagome's eyebrows wrinkled as she looked toward the door. She sighed aloud, figuring it must be one of the villagers who was ill. _"Not good timing. A little busy here." She thought._

Kagome stood with Azami still attached to her and made her way over to the door. "Is there an emergency?" She said before pulling aside the blinds. When she saw who was at the door, she gasped.

"You scared me!" She whispered.

"That was not my intention."

Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, with the same plain expression on his face that he always had. He was the type to show up whenever he wanted even though he didn't show often. He paid no mind to the time restraints of the average people. He looked at Kagome with red rings around her eyes, looking like she hadn't slept in days. He saw Azami latched onto her as Kagome rocked the child gently.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" She scolded him.

"I didn't know my presence would be an inconvenience." He responded. "I will take my leave."

Kagome sighed tiredly. She could not find it in her to send him away. "It's okay, come in."

She turned and began to walk back in. He followed her silently and watched as she lit a candle in the living area. Kagome slunk down onto the floor, gently rocking Azami as the child fell asleep. Sesshomaru sat across from her, letting his eyes wander around the humble home of his brother and Kagome.

"What can I do for you?" Kagome asked.

"I wanted to speak to my brother. But I see that he is not here." He answered.

Kagome had a weak smile on her face. _"He wanted to see Inuyasha."_

"Well I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I'm not so sure he wants to see you. He is not too happy about your choices as of late." She said.

"I have much to discuss with him. But I will not burden you with everything I have to say." He said.

"Well, I am glad you've come." She replied, yawning. "Family is important. I want Azami to know you. She will never know my mother or my brother as I have left them behind in my old era. So you are the only family she has aside from us. Inuyasha tried to forbid me from letting you see her, but I told him I would not send you away should you want to see her."

"I cannot say that he is without reason." Sesshomaru said, and after a moment of silence he turned his eyes back to Kagome. "Does it hurt?"

Kagome looked confused for a moment but then she looked down and blushed. "Oh, that. I apologize if this makes you uncomfortable."

"Do not apologize. A mother feeding her child is not shameful." He replied. "I was just curious."

"Yes." Kagome answered meekly. "It does. Her fangs make it hard for me."

Sesshomaru thought of Rin. "If Rin should ever have children, she would also feel this pain."

Kagome smiled at his concern, thinking it was sweet that he worried about Rin like that. "Afraid so. But it is not all that bad. You get used to it."

He turned away as Kagome gently removed her child from her chest and pulled up her kimono to cover herself. Azami immediately woke up after and looked over to Sesshomaru, staring at him for moment. She recognized the man who looked a little like her father and smiled at him. Sesshomaru looked at her do this, and his face softened.

"Azami, will you ever sleep for more than a few minutes?" She scolded the baby gently.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome as she wearily bounced the child on her lap. "She does not sleep?" He asked.

"Barely. And so I get no sleep. When Inuyasha is gone, it is worse. She misses him, and makes me pay for it."

Sesshomaru stretched his arms out, and Azami wriggled out of her mother's arms and walked sloppily over to him, falling into his lap. He propped her up facing him and she reached her hands out to touch his face. He closed his eyes as she did this. Kagome smiled at the sight of Azami bonding with Sesshomaru. The powerful demon had a sweet side, and Kagome was glad to be one of the few beings that he would show it to.

"Is Inuyasha a good father?" Sesshomaru asked. The question left Kagome floored. She was surprised she would ever hear such words leave his mouth. There was something odd about Sesshomaru as of late, but Kagome was happy with it. He was showing an interest in their lives that he had never bothered in before.

"Yes, of course he is. Sometimes I think he believes that he isn't because he didn't have a father figure in his life. As if he shouldn't know how to be, because he only had his mother."

Sesshomaru felt his throat tighten at her words. He didn't want to discuss these things now, and Kagome looked so tired. He changed the conversation. "Go to sleep if that is what you need."

Kagome's face first looked confused by his statement but then she broke into a smile when she realized what he was saying to her. She stood up and walked over to the both of them, tussling Azami's black hair.

"I know you aren't one for sentiment, so I will just say thank you."

She leaned over to give Azami a kiss on the head, and began to head for her room. She looked back when she got to the doorway, and smiled at the sight of her daughter safe in Sesshomaru's arms.

" _Sesshomaru. Sometimes I wonder if he gets lonely." She thought before disappearing into her room._

The dog demon looked into the little girl's eyes. They looked just like his younger brothers. Only her eyes were happy. The scared eyes of the young boy Inuyasha once was flashed before him, making Sesshomaru uneasy. He flinched when she got closer to him, giggling and grabbing at his clothing. She snuggled up right under his neck and he let his left arm wrap around her, holding her close. Holding her like this made him feel at peace. He felt his heart beat within his chest, it was warm and comfortable. The feeling always made Sesshomaru uneasy. He felt undeserving of this affection Azami gave him. The little girl began to fall asleep on his chest and he leaned back comfortably, watching her dark eyelashes flutter. He could see a faint resemblance in the child, not to Inuyasha or Kagome, but to her grandmother.

" _Lord Sesshomaru." He could still hear her voice in his head. Izayoi stood before him, looking thin and paler than usual. Her long black hair seemed stringy, and didn't hold a great shape as it normally did._

" _Have you finally decided to give up the location of the Tetsaiga? All these years, you managed to maintain your ignorance.. If this is true, realize that you will pay dearly for lying to me." He said callously._

" _No, Sesshomaru." Her face dropped at his threat. "I have never known where the Tetsaiga is. I have called you here to ask you something of importance."_

" _So you are wasting my time then, Izayoi? If it is not about the sword, it can't possibly be important."_

" _I am dying, Sesshomaru." Her voice cracked._

 _Sesshomaru stood before her for a minute taking in this new information before choosing his next words. "And pray tell, what does that have to do with me?"_

" _My brothers are horrible men, Sesshomaru. They have no honor. I've had to protect my son countless times from them. My boy is only 9 years old, and they will throw him out of the village as soon as I am gone."_

 _Sesshomaru's eyes remained cold as he realized where this was going. "Choose your next words wisely." He said._

 _Izayoi took a step toward Sesshomaru, even though she knew she shouldn't. "Please, find it in your heart not to let him wander this world alone. I've begged you so many times to accept him, and this is the last time. I know there is good in you, Sesshomaru. You are your father's son. If only-"_

" _How dare you ask this.." He interrupted, turning his back to her._

" _This is your chance to set aside your hatred and become the kind of man your Father was."_

" _I am not my Father." He said. "And this Sesshomaru will not take care of_ _ **his**_ _mistakes."_

" _Inuyasha is not a mistake. Your Father loved him just as he loved you."_

 _Sesshomaru turned back to Izayoi, and his eyes flashed red. She backed away from him, but gathered what little strength she had in her being and kept her head high. In her suffering, she found a new strength. Sesshomaru was no longer as fearsome, in the face of sickness and death._

" _You will regret it one day if you do not make things right with him." She said, her face sad with disappointment._

" _You are mistaken, I assure you." He responded._

" _Mother?" She could hear her son from the doorway._

" _Inuyasha?.." His Mother looked over, not happy that he was home so soon from his errand. She had sent him away to avoid having Inuyasha hear that she was sick, even though she knew he suspected it._

 _Sesshomaru studied the young man across the room. The boy was taller than the last time Sesshomaru had seen him, and still thin. The ears atop his head turned down when he saw his older brother in the room. Inuyasha growled at Sesshomaru. The man would come and bother his Mother every couple of years, and as Inuyasha grew, he became less afraid and more angered by his presence. Sesshomaru noticed his aggressive behavior and turned to him._

" _ **Boy**_ _," Sesshomaru said. "Come here."_

 _Young Inuyasha felt his neck go hot with anger. He didn't like the way Sesshomaru addressed him; as if he were some lowly creature not worthy of his time._

" _ **No.**_ _" The boy growled._

" _No?" Sesshomaru said, as an amused smirk came over his face._

" _Inuyash-" His mother started. Sesshomaru held his hand up to call for silence, as he took a few steps toward the skinny half demon._

" _What a brave little half breed you are." Sesshomaru taunted, towering over him. "Do you think you are my match, little brother?"_

 _Inuyasha felt less sure of himself now that he had Sesshomaru looking down at him. He was still just a boy, and had no chances of taking on a demon of his brother's stature. But he was also nearing the age where he was just starting to become a man, and his anger was filling to the brim. He stood there growling in frustration with his arms shaking at his sides angrily. When he didn't answer, Sesshomaru smirked again._

" _I didn't think so." He said, before backhanding the boy in the face. The strike sent Inuyasha to the ground._

" _Inuyasha!" His mother cried out, running over to him. She threw herself over him defensively. Inuyasha held his face and growled, ready now to get up and attack Sesshomaru. His mother could barely keep him down._

" _The boy is feral. He will do just fine in the outside world." Sesshomaru said._

 _Izayoi still draped over her son, turned to Sesshomaru angrily. "Your father warned me about you, but I never listened. The selfish one. I am done begging you to save your own heart. Leave us."_

" _My father's servant Myoga will come to the boy when he learns about your condition." Sesshomaru said, not paying any mind to her anger. "When this happens, I_ _ **will**_ _be notified of his presence. He has been avoiding me for a long time."_

 _He turned to leave, and Izayoi watched him with bloodshot eyes as he neared the door, he turned to look at her and saw the pain in her eyes. He turned and walked out without another word. That was the last time he ever saw her._

The memory made Sesshomaru's chest ache, and he held Azami closer to him. He closed his eyes and let the image of Izayoi fade into nothing.

…

Rin and Ah Un rested together near a lake. She had a fish cooking on an open fire. The dragon looked depressed, and Rin felt bad. He had been parted first from Sesshomaru, and now from his new feline friend. She stroked him, with a half smile on her face.

"It's okay, if you want you can return home. I can travel by foot for a while. I don't think I should be showing up to gather my sword with you. Kohaku warned me against that." She said to him.

The dragon lifted both heads to look at her. He looked contemplative. It was obvious he did not want to leave her alone.

"Do not worry for me, Ah Un. I can take care of myself."

The dragon sighed and snuggled up to her. She smiled at him. "Okay, well, then after we are done eating you must stay here and wait for me. I will go to Keiji and gather what is mine."

((One hour later))

Rin breathed an exhausted breath as she came to the cabin in the middle of the woods, a small bag in tow. She was happy to have reached her destination, but not very happy that she would have to see Keiji, as he was not a pleasant person to do business with. She took long strides as she approached the cabin, looking around for signs of the man. She saw him sitting down, whittling away at a piece of wood. He lifted his head when he sensed her, and let out a smirk. She walked over to him, her face like a stone as not to seem friendly. This was purely business.

"Ah, princess." Keiji said, standing. "It is nice to see you again."

"Do not call me that." Rin said, moving her bag off her shoulder. "I have come to retrieve what I have paid for."

"Where is Kohaku?" Keiji said, looking around.

"He is not traveling with me." She said. "Now do you have it?"

"Calm down, I have it." He said, nodding his head and giving her cheap smiles. "You are not like other women, are you, Rin?"

"I am not going to have this conversation with you, Keiji. This is merely business."

"Come in.." Keiji said, motioning her to come with him.

She followed him into his cabin, wishing Kohaku was here with her to deal with his rude friend. But she couldn't find it within herself to cause him any more pain. And so she would stay away from Kohaku until the day would come that he could accept their love as platonic. She looked around the messy cabin of Keiji and felt disgusted by his lack of cleanliness. Rin watched Keiji as he motioned to a cloth that laid on the table before him. She stood by him, looking down at the cloth. Keiji moved the cloth aside, revealing her sword. It was not as large as the other ones he had about the place, but it was big for her. She let her hand stroke it, she was happy with the product.

"It is yours." He said, with a smirk on his face. "If you can lift it, that is."

Rin sighed at him and reached out for it. With one hand, she slipped onto the handle and began to lift it. Her arm shook a little at the weight, but she managed to lift it into the air.

"Heh. You impress me with your strength." He said as she placed it back down. "You are far too thin to be that strong."

She pulled a small pouch out of her bag and threw it in his face. He growled at this. "Keiji, you are a rude man, even if you are talented. Here is the rest of your beloved payment. I trust you've also made a sheath considering what you've charged me."

He snarled, bending down to his mess of a floor to pull out a cheaply made sheath. It was black with an arm strap. She grabbed it from him, and turned away from him, trying to figure out how to secure it. The strap went diagonal from her shoulder to the other side of her waist. Keiji watched her do this, his eyes red with anger from her dominant behavior. He wasn't used to being treated this way by women. While it made him angry, he also found that he was aroused. He grabbed her from behind, turning her around to face him. His lips came crashing down onto hers, and she immediately began to push away at him defensively. His beard scraped at her skin as he kissed her forcefully. She managed to finally push him away, her face full of disgust. She pulled back her head and then sent it forward, spitting directly into his eye.

"How dare you!" She yelled, heading for her sword as he wiped her spit out of his eye.

"Calm yourself, wench!" He took a few steps toward her, and she pointed her sword at him as she backed away.

"You have no honor!" She shouted angrily.

He sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "Put down the weapon, Rin. I will not fight a woman."

"But you will force your lips onto mine as if you own them. Coward. Do not dare to follow me, because I will kill you." She said fiercely, her sword still pointed at him as she backed away toward the door.

When she was finally outside, she turned angrily and began to walk away with great haste. She tucked her sword away into the sheath on her back. Her face was red and hot from her encounter with the swords maker.

" _That bastard!" She thought angrily. "How dare he come onto me."_

…

Kagome awoke to the sun beaming down from her window. She squirmed and stretched for a moment before letting her eyes flutter open. She sat up and slowly began to stand up, yawning.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked herself aloud.

She draped her kimono over her body and tied it lazily before exiting her room. She peered into the room where Azami's crib was. When she didn't see her, her eyebrows tightened and she let her feet rush her to the living area, where she had last seen her. Kagome stopped in her tracks when she looked into the room.

The large figure of Sesshomaru was laid across her floor, sound asleep. Resting on his chest was Azami. One of his hands was in the middle of her back, in a manner that suggests he was being protective of her. Kagome smiled widely at the sight. She thought it was very special that Sesshomaru took such a liking to her daughter.

"Kami, I pray for more moments like these." She whispered softly.

"Kagome." She heard from the window. She looked over and saw Sango, who caught a glimpse of the scene. "Am I going crazy? Is that Sesshomaru?"

"I know it's hard to believe, I'm having a hard time taking in this new development. Only not really because I got some great sleep last night. Do you need something?"

"Yes, I was wondering if I could borrow a little wood. Gotta make breakfast and Miroku isn't around to go fetch some and I am not leaving the children alone long as they will kill each other." She answered quietly, scratching the back of her head. "So he stayed the night, then?"

"Yeah, he has really taken an interest in Azami. I think he wants to be close to her because she is family." Kagome said, grabbing a couple pieces of wood and passing it to Sango through the window. "I'm so happy."

"How is Inuyasha going to feel about that?" Sango asked, looking at the dog demon concernedly. "Didn't he say he didn't want him around her?"

Kagome shrugged and smiled weakly. "I'm afraid he's going to be upset. But I will not send Sesshomaru away if he wants to see her. How can I deny her a relationship with him? If something should happen to myself and Inuyasha, who would look after her? I wouldn't place that on you and Miroku. You have enough to worry about. I just.. I just want to know she will always have someone to go to. He is a demon, and she will have questions I just can't answer because I am not."

Sango smiled and shook her head, looking back to Sesshomaru and Azami. "It is a rather precious scene, isn't it?"

Sesshomaru's eyes opened and traveled to the window, looking directly at Sango. She noticed this and grabbed the firewood, turning on her heel. "Well, that's my queue. Thanks, Kagome!" She yelled, taking off the other way.

"Morning." Kagome said embarrassedly to Sesshomaru as she moved awkwardly over to him, kneeling down by him and Azami. "I don't suppose you want food? That's a silly question. Of course you don't."

"No thank you." He said, as he sat up, making sure to support Azami's small frame with his arms. The child woke at this sudden movement, looking to both her mother and Sesshomaru.

He placed her down gently on the floor, and Azami got up and began to walk around, grabbing for a couple toys that laid about the floor. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru for a minute before she spoke. "Thank you for taking care of her last night. You are a good brother."

"I think we both know that is not true." Sesshomaru said, not looking her in the eye.

"Well, I believe you are now even if you were not back then." Kagome said.

"You and Rin are alike in this way. Always trying to see the good in others. Such a dangerous outlook to have in these trying times. If Inuyasha is unreasonable about me coming around it is only because he wants to protect you and his child."

"But we do not need protection from you. I know you wouldn't cause harm to either of us." She said.

"You know that. But he does not. He has no reason to believe otherwise."

"It seems hopeless." Kagome said sadly.

"If the day comes that she should need me, I will not turn her away. I will not make that mistake again." He said as he stared out of the window.

Kagome smiled at him as he opened up to her. It was definitely the first step towards healing the relationship between Inuyasha and himself. But right before she could say anything back, their conversation was interrupted by a huge thud outside. Sesshomaru and Kagome stood immediately. She grabbed for Azami and looked to Sesshomaru as he neared the door.

"What is it?" She asked.

He didn't answer, but the fact he did not grab for his sword signified that he did not feel a threat. Kagome held Azami close to her and began to follow him outside of her home. Outside they could see Inuyasha looking furious. Miroku had his staff secured around the half demon, holding him back. It was clear they had just come back from their job. Sango was standing there watching them nervously.

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha." Miroku said.

"Let go of me!" Inuyasha yelled. "Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru looked on as Inuyasha removed himself from Miroku.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome shouted, holding onto Azami protectively.

"Kagome. What were you thinking?" He shouted. "Sesshomaru! How dare you enter my home!"

"Inuyasha, calm yourself so we may speak like civil beings." Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha growled, enraged that his brother had been in his house, near his family. Sango ran to Kagome's side, taking Azami from her.

"You better calm him down, Kagome." Sango told her.

Kagome walked briskly over to where Inuyasha stood across from Sesshomaru. "Inuyasha.."

"Don't, Kagome." Inuyasha half-shouted. "You let him into my home around my child. I was not around to protect either of you. I can't believe you would do that. I am so angry right now."

"Inuyasha!" She shouted, tears decorating the sides of her eyes. "Just talk to him! He is your brother!"

"Stay out of it." Inuyasha growled, moving her aside so he could lock eyes with Sesshomaru.

"Will you not let go of your anger long enough to speak to me, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked calmly.

"I want you to stay away from my family, Sesshomaru. You had no right to come around my wife and daughter without my knowledge."

"Very well, little brother." He said. "If you do not want to hear what I have to say, I will take my leave."

"Don't leave, Sesshomaru." Kagome pleaded before turning to Inuyasha and placing her hands on his chest. "Inuyasha, please. Just speak with him. I know you are angry with the both of us, but you must set that aside right now. He has come only to speak to you."

Inuyasha's arms shook at his sides for a moment but then they rested. "Fine. I will speak to him. But I want you to take Azami and go inside. If I'm going to talk to him, it will be alone."

Kagome nodded, wiping the tears out of her eyes. She slowly walked over to Sango, taking Azami into her arms as she made her way inside. Sango motioned to Miroku that she was going to go with Kagome, and he nodded.

"Can I trust that this will be a peaceful conversation? I will remind the both of you that we are still in the village and there will be no physical confrontation. The villagers would be at risk and I will not allow that." Miroku said to both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

The two barely seemed to notice Miroku as they stared at each other, but he knew they had heard him. Miroku nodded and began to turn, motioning some of the villagers that had taken notice of Inuyasha's rage back to their business. He looked back to them before heading for his own home. Opening his door, he was bombarded by his children. He smiled and planted kisses on all of them, holding them close.

" _I do hope that Inuyasha patches things up with Sesshomaru once and for all. It is time that they both let of the past and move on."_

There was a long silence between the two brothers before Sesshomaru spoke.

"There are many things that need to be said." He started.

"How about you start where you enter my home when you know I do not want you there."

"Do you honestly think I will harm Kagome and the child?"

"Who is to say you won't? I certainly wouldn't put it past you, Sesshomaru."

"I am no coward. I wouldn't lay a hand on either of them."

"Don't give me that. I love my wife and child more than anything. I will do anything to protect them. Including keeping them away from people like you."

"Inuyasha, I will only say this once because I am not fond of speaking this way. You can hate me all you want, but none of it is going to take back anything that happened all those years ago. Leave that burden to me. For it is mine alone. I am the one who tormented and hurt Izayoi over the search of the Tetsaiga."

Inuyasha growled heavily at the reminder of what had happened a long time ago. He did not want these memories.

"Your human mother was a wise woman, and I made her suffer for it. I should have taken her last warning, and I did not. And now I will have to remember every day for the rest of my long life what I did. I am the one that will have to live with my mistakes. I should have changed then. I should have made things right. But I didn't, and now I can't. Her souls rests eternally, and there is no way I will ever be able to take the things I did back."

Inuyasha's teeth clenched at Sesshomaru's words. He hated thinking about his mother, who died when he was young. She had become ill, and passed away when he was too young to go off on his own. But his mother's family did not care, and sent him away after her burial. So he simply had to make due and take care of himself from that point on. He growled at the thought of being young and alone.

"But I suppose I'm not the only one who has to live with my mistakes." Sesshomaru said, looking Inuyasha in the eyes. "When your mother was sick, she tried to appeal to me, hoping I would change. She knew the hardships you would face after her death, and begged me to take you under my wing."

"I can't believe you are telling this to me now, Sesshomaru."

"You shouldn't have had to look after yourself at such a young age. You should have had guidance. I should have listened to your Mother instead of tormenting her."

"Sesshomaru.." Inuyasha was flooded with emotions. He was angry and bewildered. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with Sesshomaru. His teeth clenched and his eyes flinched.

"Again, I will only say this once because it is not me to speak in such a way but I know that to move forward with Rin it needs to be addressed." He continued. He looked straight at Inuyasha for a moment , making sure that he was looking right back at him. "I apologize, little brother."

Inuyasha stopped completely, his hands going limp at his sides as he looked at Sesshomaru. Had he really just apologized? Or was he dreaming? He didn't imagine he would ever hear these words coming from his brother's lips. And now that they had- he didn't know how to react. Everything he had wanted to say previously had been forgotten and now he was just standing around looking at dog demon with conflicted eyes. They stood in this motion for several minutes before Inuyasha snapped out of it. He blinked and looked at his hands and then to Sesshomaru.

"Why are you apologizing, Sesshomaru? What do you have to gain from it?" Inuyasha asked frustratedly, wanting still to be angry at Sesshomaru.

"I have nothing to gain from it, except maybe peace of mind." Sesshomaru said. "Although, in this case, whether or not you accept, there will be very little."

Inuyasha found himself in a tough position. He knew Sesshomaru was being sincere in his apology, but he still found it so hard to accept it. No sorries could take back what had been done. But not accepting it wouldn't bring any solace, either. He stood frustrated.

"It is no consequence to me whether or not you accept it. I said what I needed to. I will leave you, now, so you may go back to your wife and child."

Sesshomaru turned and began to walk away, not waiting to hear if Inuyasha would accept his apology or not. He could hardly believe that he had even apologized to begin with. Apologizing was not something someone of his stature did. But he felt a lightness about his chest as he walked away from his dumbfounded little brother. It was like a weight had been lifted off of him. His steps were long and elegant as he disappeared into the distance.

Inuyasha breathed in and out slowly for a few moments. _"I might never forgive him for what happened all those years ago. Mother, what should I do? Would you forgive him? …I already know. I know what you would do. I don't think I'm as strong as you are though. But perhaps I can try to be.."_

He slowly made his way back inside his home, thoughtful. His anger had subsided and he was now exhausted from his morning. He felt bad about the whole situation even though before he had felt completely justified. He saw Azami in the corner of the room, playing with a toy. Across from them was Kagome looking red around her eyes from crying, and Sango was there comforting her. Sango flashed Inuyasha a harsh look, staying by Kagome's side. She was rubbing one of her arms gently. Inuyasha's ears flattened on the top of his head as he turned to grab up Azami. He held her close to him, closing his eyes. It had been a couple days since he had seen his family, and the drama this morning was not the kind of welcome back he had wanted.

Kagome looked to Sango and nodded her head that it was okay to leave. Sango left, but not without first giving Inuyasha another nasty look. Kagome sat there watching Inuyasha hold their child in his arms as if nothing could rip her away from him. She felt bad for not listening to Inuyasha in regards to having Sesshomaru around, but at the same time was angry at him for acting the way he did when he found out. His eyes opened and he looked to Kagome.

"Inuyasha.." She started.

"I'm sorry for acting out the way I did." Inuyasha apologized, kneeling in front of Kagome with his daughter still wrapped tightly around his neck.

"You know I would not put Azami in danger." Kagome said, her voice cracking. "You know that."

Inuyasha leaned in with his other arm, pulling Kagome to himself and Azami. The family pressed to each other tightly in an embrace.

"I know, Kagome. I'm sorry."

….

Kirara happily rolled around in the dirt outside of the cabin in the old demon slayers village. The little cat rubbed her face and tail into the ground. She looked over to the door as Kohaku exited, stroking his beard. He looked anxious and worried. When he noticed Kirara, he let out an amused smile.

"Kirara, you are making a mess of yourself, girl." He said, sighing. "Look at you. You're going to drag all that dirt inside. I guess you'll be needing a bath."

The little cat's hair stuck up in the air as she angrily hissed at him in objection. He laughed at her dirt covered face. He took a cloth he had nearby and crouched down, scooping her up. He wiped the dirt off of her face as she squirmed. She could have gotten away easily, but he knew she secretly liked being fussed over. He put her back down and watched as she dug right back into the dirt just to spite him.

Sighing, he confided in the little cat. "I don't know, Kirara. I have a bad feeling about Rin leaving the way she did. I know she's capable of taking care of herself, but I feel like something bad is going to happen. I just can't kick the thought."

Kirara walked over to him, rubbing the dirt from her tail off onto his leg. She mewed before jumping away from him, transforming into her big cat form. She looked at him as if she expected him to jump onto her back.

"Maybe you're right. I should find her to at least make sure everything is okay. It'll give me peace of mind" He said, standing up. "I need two minutes to gather my things. We will go to Keiji first to see if he can point us in the direction she went."

Kirara didn't understand who Keiji was, as she'd never seen him before. She waited while Kohaku got himself together. A few minutes later, he came out and they took off into the sky together.

(( A half hour later))

Kohaku and Kirara landed right next to the old cabin in the woods. She quickly transformed back into her original form when Kohaku unmounted from her.

"Keiji!" Kohaku called out for him.

"Kohaku?" He heard from inside. "Come in!"

Kohaku let himself inside the cabin, motioning for Kirara to stay inside. When he got inside, he saw the large man sitting down, hammering a fiery red blade. He turned to Kohaku and grinned.

"Did your skinny girl come running back to you?" He queried.

"What are you talking about?" Kohaku asked confusedly, moving closer to Keiji. "You are talking about Rin? She came here to collect her sword, am I right?"

"Yeah, she was here, alright." Keiji said truning back to his work, slamming his hammer down.

"Do you know which way she left?" Kohaku continued.

"I don't know where that little hussy took off to." He said, hitting the blade harder this time.

"What is your problem, Keiji? Stop speaking of her that way." Kohaku said angrily.

"Defending her honor when she isn't even yours to defend? You aren't equipped to handle a girl like that."

"What did you just say to me?" His teeth grinded in his mouth.

Keiji put down the hammer and stood up across from Kohaku, looking him in the eyes, smirking. "She's a feisty little tramp.. It's too bad you didn't get a taste. Her lips are like honey."

Kohaku pulled back his fist and sent it flying forward into Keiji's jaw, making the man stumble to the side. Keiji came back with his own shot, and Kohaku turned his face to soften the blow. He kicked the large man away from him, drawing his sword. Pointing it at Keiji, he came forward.

"What did you do?" Kohaku snarled, knowing that Rin would never kiss Keiji. She only showed disgust for the man.

Keiji stood up straight, looking to Kohaku's sword and then to him. "Back off, Kohaku."

"Not until you answer me." Kohaku shouted, closing in on the man.

Keiji grabbed quickly for the half finished sword he had on the ground and swung it at Kohaku. The swords clanked together as Keiji used his weight to his advantage. They struggled for a minute, going back and forth. Kohaku threw another fist, sending Keiji to the ground. He stomped on the mans arm, making him drop the sword. Toppling him, Kohaku began to strike at his face repeatedly. At first, Keiji pushed back and tried to come out on top. But Kohaku had the advantage as he pummeled the man until he stopped fighting back. He had Keiji pinned to the ground and was holding his sword directly into the man's face.

"Where is she?" Kohaku yelled.

"I don't know." The man grunted, half-stunned by the amount of blows he had received from Kohaku. The demon slayer hit the man again.

"Answer me now. Did you harm Rin?"

"No.." Keiji gasped for air. "She took off after rejecting my advances."

Kohaku place his sword in his sheath and looked into the eyes of Keiji, who's face was already puffing and red. "If I find that you are lying to me, I will return."

Kohaku stood, looking down at the brutalized man. He was so angry at his former friend for forcing himself on Rin, he felt like killing him right here and now.

"KIRARA!" Kohaku called as he walked outside of the cabin.

When he made his way outside, she was already transformed and ready to go. He swiftly jumped onto her back. "We have to find Rin. She was here not too long ago. See if you can follow the scent of either her or Ah Un."

The two tailed beast sniffed the air and took off like a shot.

….

The day had come and Sesshomaru found he was not happy about it. He had called for a meeting at his estate for all of his subjects and allies. He had hoped that he would be more prepared for the day when it came, but he had no clue what to really expect. He would see more dog demons today than he had seen before. There were allies from all directions and they were going to be in his home, mingling about. He was no socialite, so it was going to be hell for him but it was something he needed to do. In order to establish himself. This is what his mother had raised him to do. Being the Lord of the West required of him to do things he didn't really care to do, like entertaining. He didn't care to have a lot of beings around his home. The dog demon liked his solitude.

Walking down the steps of his home, he felt a longing for Rin. Sesshomaru thought of her and how it may be better that she was away for the time being. What with all the demons being around his estate, he could not ensure her protection at a time like this. It would take a while to get to that point where his allies would accept Rin as his mate and he was not going to risk her safety. So far the only other people who knew about them was his Mother and Jaken. He intended to keep it that way until he could make sure that no one would try to harm his beloved. Infact, he had clue how to even approach the situation, but figured he would make his move in due time.

He smelt a familiar scent and he knew that his Mother was close by. He looked at Jaken who was pacing around.

"Jaken, the door." He said, knowing his Mother would be waiting at the door. She was an heiress and aristocrat, and would be offended if she had to let herself in.

"Of course, my lord." Jaken said, stumbling over to the door to open it.

The toad made his way to the door and struggled to open it. When it was finally open, he watched in amazement as Sesshomaru's Mother entered. She was a sight to behold, her silver hair pinned up perfectly and her lips full and decorated with rouge. She looked like she hadn't aged a day in the long time she had been alive. Behind her there were two smaller beings, one was a male raccoon demon and a young female fox demon. Sesshomaru's eyes did not leave his Mother. A smile across her face, she glided towards Sesshomaru, rubbing her nose with his.

"My lovely son. Might you be ready for today?" She whispered.

"Mother, do not tease me." He said annoyedly.

"Oh, Sesshomaru. As always, my moody child."

Contrary to his actions, he was happy to see his Mother. She was always such a calming, reassuring presence. She ran her fingers through his hair lovingly before gliding past him to look around. He turned to look at her investigate the palace. She ran her fingers across the rail on the stairway.

"My son, you've chosen a lovely design." She commented.

He was proud of the estate that he had chosen. He knew his Mother would fancy it as he did.

"My Lady.." The raccoon demon started, making the dog demoness snap her head to him. Sesshomaru had seen the raccoon demon a million times before, as he was a faithful servant of his Mother ever since he was a boy. But the fox demon was new. She looked to be 16 at most and had a pale face with some freckles by her nose. Her hair was a reddish brown and went down to her waist. Her face was sullen and depressed looking, and her green eyes met with the ground, unmoving.

"I almost forgot." His mother interrupted, making her way over to the two smaller demons that had followed her in. She motioned to the young girl. "Come, little one."

The fox girl stepped forward, and the Lady bent down to place her hands on the girl's shoulders. She led the girl over to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, this is Nami." She said, letting go of the girl's shoulders. The girl looked back at her and she nodded to the girl, letting out a kind smile. "Go on, girl, say hello to my son."

The fox girl bowed politely to him, not taking her eyes off the ground. "Hello, Lord Sesshomaru." Her small voice reached his ears.

"Mother, what is the reason of this?" He asked, annoyed.

"Does a mother need a reason to gift her son?" She replied, smiling. "I know how much you need some help around here and you seem to enjoy the company of small creatures."

Sesshomaru sighed in frustration. Even though it was perfectly normal and this was to be expected from her, the thought of being gifted a living being made him feel strange. "Mother.."

"Little demon." She interrupted him, turning to Jaken. Her fangs curled over her obviously annoyed smile. "Would you be so kind as to take Nami with you and show her around? She is going to be helping around here from now on."

"Yes, ma'am." Jaken gulped, turning to the little fox demon. "You heard the Lady, come with me, young Nami."

The girl silently began to follow the toad demon. Sesshomaru watched as they disappeared before turning to his Mother. She placed her arm around his, happy to be at her son's side.

"Mother, that is not necessary. I do not need this. A fox demon is of no use to me." He said.

"Sesshomaru, I will not hear another word. You will accept your mother's generosity. The little demon Jaken can't be the only one to serve you in this place. You need the help." She chided him.

He sighed and relented. There were far more things to worry about today. "Where is that ugly beast you've decided to waste your time with?"

"Sesshomaru.." She growled. "There is trouble in the East, and he is taking care of it at the moment. Although I do believe that Gina will be here in his place." She watched his face to see the changes.

"I see." He said, not pleased that either of them were going to be in his home again.

"Sesshomaru. I know something went on between you and them." His mother whispered. "I don't want to know what it was, but I am just going to let you know that you are better off being agreeable and not getting into arguments with either of them. We've gone through too much trouble to have things go wrong today."

Sesshomaru rubbed his eyes, not ready for the day ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Jaken was walking with the girl that his Lord's Mother had brought. He studied her as he walked from room to room with her. She hardly raised her head to look at the rooms or anything else in the castle. But since he was shorter than her, he could see all of the sadness plastered on her face. Jaken sighed and stopped when he realized he was wasting his time showing her around.

"Girl, are you taking any of this in?"

The girl lifted her head for the first time, looking directly into Jaken's eyes. "Yes, sir."

"Tell me, young Nami, what is your story? Did you serve the Lady Mother at all?"

"No. I was brought to her by traders and she figured I would do well as a servant for your Lord and she paid for me."

Jaken sighed sadly. He was a servant of Lord Sesshomaru because of his choice to follow him. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be bought and sold, with no choices. The fact that girl was only a little younger than Rin made him sentimental as well. "Were you always a servant?"

"No.." The girl said, her head lowering again sadly. "My family and friends had a home on the Eastern line but our den was raided by bat demons. My family was killed in front of me. My mother, father, and my big brother. Some of us were taken as spoils of battle. I was traded a couple of times before I was sold to the Lady."

Jaken shook his head. The world was a cruel place indeed. He tried to think of words of comfort for the young fox demon. "Young Nami, I am sorry to hear about your family. Your plight does not go unrecognized."

The girl fought back the tears that came to her eyes. Nobody in her whole year of being captive had ever offered her any words of comfort or sympathy.

"Come, Nami, we don't have to do this today. There is to be a huge meeting here in the castle today, so I'll show you to a room so you can rest your head where no one can bother you."

The girl nodded her head and wiped her eyes. "Sir, why are you being so kind to me?"

"I see no reason to be unkind." Jaken said. "Come on."

…..

On the top of a mountain, Rin sat with Ah Un, looking up into the sky. There was a purple hue in the sky as it was beginning to turn into night. She hugged her knees to herself, thinking about the events of the day before. Her new sword hung on her back, she wasn't even happy to have it.

" _What am I doing out here? Maybe I am in over my head." She thought as she looked at the sun retreating._

"It's a cold one." She commented to Ah Un, who was curled up in a circle. He merely lifted his head to look at her before laying it back down. She watched as his large eyes closed.

She crawled over to him and leaned against his body, letting her head fall back onto him as she held her kimono close to her skin. She shivered, rubbing her shoulders. A few minutes later, her head fell backwards as she lost consciousness.

 _Rin awoke in a room, startled. She was in a dark room that seemed very familiar, although she couldn't place exactly where she had seen this room before. It was all very confusing. She didn't see anyone around, and so she stood to her feet. There was a scary aura about the room, so she headed quickly for the door. When she slid it open, a demon came barreling towards her. She gasped as she felt a hand pull her backwards. She stumbled backwards and watched as the figure closed the door and turned to her. It was Kohaku, but it wasn't the one she had walked out on a couple days ago. It was young Kohaku, and it made her realize where she was._

" _Naraku's castle." She whispered to herself as she watched the boy go to sit down in the corner of the room by himself. "But why am I here? Naraku was defeated many years ago."_

 _Kohaku looked at her with his sullen eyes and then back to the floor._

" _Kohaku. What is happening?" She asked aloud._

" _Just stay in here where it's safe." The boy responded to her._

 _Rin looked down at herself and gasped when she saw her own stature. It was as if she had been flung back in time to the day she had been kidnapped and kept in Naraku's castle. She walked over to Kohaku and sat down next to him. By now, she had accepted that she must be in a dream. She sat there for a few minutes waiting for it to be over._

" _This is who we really are. Isn't it?" She said, turning to him._

" _I don't understand." He responded, confused by her._

" _We'll always be as we are now. Our bodies will change, but we will not. Our lives have been unnaturally prolonged, and therefore they no longer have purpose. We will always be as scared as we are now."_

" _You aren't making any sense, girl. I am not scared." He responded, making her smile._

" _Yes, you are."_

Rin felt something fall on top of her, and she slowly opened her eyes. When she looked in front of her, there was a sheet over her. It hadn't been there before, so her eyes widened. She lifted her head and looked up to see Kohaku nearby, walking away from her.

"Kohaku?" She whispered. "Kohaku."

He turned around and looked at her. "You forgot a couple things when you left." He grinned.

"I am so happy you're here." She said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you okay? I am sorry for making you deal with that jerk alone. I should have gone with you."

"It's okay. I am fine. If anything, I was more upset about hurting you like I did. I should be the one who is sorry."

"No, I was being irate due to my jealousy. It's okay, Rin. I had to time to think, and I don't care if you've chosen him. I just can't let you travel alone anymore. I want to be by your side, not as your lover, but as your friend. I would rather be here than not at all."

She smiled at his words. "That is all I can offer you is my friendship. That is all I have left to give. I trust you more than most. If you wish to accompany me, I will not stop you."

"I could use a little fresh air." Kohaku said, breathing in deeply.

"Wait.." She caught herself. "How did you know about Keiji?"

Kohaku shrugged. "Let's just say I won't be doing business with him anymore."

Rin looked at the puffy mark on his face and then down at his hands to his reddened knuckles, and nodded. "He is most foul. And his breath smells something horrid."

Kohaku smiled at Rin. He was glad to see she was okay. He looked to the side and saw that Kirara had curled up beside Ah Un already and the dragon was nuzzled close to her.

"Those two really are fond of each other, huh?" He said, rubbing the back of his head.

Rin looked over and laughed. "Indeed, they wasted no time. Kirara would make a lovely bride, wouldn't she?" She joked.

….

Sesshomaru was in over his head. Demons from all over this region and beyond were in his estate. His mother had helped him along with knowing who was who. She hung off of his arm as a wife would, leading him along through the crowd. He was astonished by the fact she barely entertained, seeing what a socialite she was. She seemed to know everybody and what their story was, regardless of whether or not she had seen them in decades. He saw many he did know, including many canine demons he had himself led into battle before. Including Ryokan, who Sesshomaru never really enjoyed seeing. The demon had failed him in the battle against the cat demons before.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I am glad to be able to offer my allegiance to you one again." He said, making a small bow to the dog demon.

"Indeed. If you think you can handle it this time, Ryokan, I accept your offer." Sesshomaru said, feeling a small nudge from his Mother for his rudeness.

"Ryokan, dear, it's been far too long." The Lady held out her hand to him. He planted a small kiss on her her hand.

"Lady, the pleasure is all mine. May I say, there is no beauty who rivals you in the whole world."

"Shameless flatterer, I highly doubt that." She nodded politely to him before they moved on.

"Sesshomaru, at least try to be nice to your subjects." She whispered at him.

He ignored her as he nodded to a couple wolf demons walking by. Just then, a tall man entered the room. He had long hair that was streaked with both black and silver, and his face was sharp with a large thin nose. It was very clear that he was a dog demon, and a noble one at that. There was a charm around his head, and he bore the mark of a lightning bolt on his forehead. He was very serious looking and was followed by a pig demon. He looked to the right and left at a few of the people around as if he were looking for someone. When Sesshomaru's mother spied him, she stopped in her tracks.

"Come.." She whispered to Sesshomaru. "Your most important connection is here."

Sesshomaru sighed and let his Mother lead him over to the strange man.

"Lord Osamu." His Mother called to the man, nodding her head politely. "It is nice to meet your acquaintance, again."

The man smiled and took her by her hands, burying his nose in her hands before looking up to her. "How could I forget the lovely Lady of the West? She is still a radiant jewel, is she not?" She turned to the pig demon, who nodded, and then back to her.

"This is my son, Sesshomaru. " She said, backing away so the two demons could meet. "Sesshomaru, this is Lord Osamu of the North."

Sesshomaru extended an arm to Osaku and he returned it, they both studied each other. He wasn't used to seeing many dog demons, especially ones close to his own age.

"It is good to meet you like this. I fear the alliance between the West and the North was doomed if I'd never get to meet the son of the great dog demon."

"Osamu's father was a trusted ally of your father and I." His mother said to Sesshomaru.

"As we will also be." Osamu nodded to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru nodded back to him. "The alliances of the past will be as great as they once were."

"I'll drink to that, Sesshomaru." He smiled, before turning to kiss the Lady's hand.

When Osamu's head raised, his eyes focused on something from across the room. "Lady, who is that?"

She turned her head and saw none other than Gina entering the room. She was dressed from head to toe in black lace and lovely jewels. She held a fancy black fan in her grasp. Her lips were as red as wine as she smiled. Her big black eyelashes went up and down as she blinked. Sesshomaru took notice to her and felt himself get sick to his stomach. As lovely as she looked, he knew what big trouble her and her sister were. He looked around her to see if her sister was with her, but saw that she was not. It bothered him that she was not there with Hana. What had happened to Hana that she could not accompany her sister?

"Oh, that is Gina. One of the daughters of the Eastern Lord. He had no sons, so she'll be taking over his territory. Would you like me to introduce you to her?" Sesshomaru's mother offered to the Lord Osamu. He nodded and she took him by the arm and began to lead him over to the newly arrived demoness.

Sesshomaru tried not to seem too interested in what was happening, but he could not help but watch as his Mother led the dog demon Lord over to Gina. He watched their mouths move as they were introduced. Gina's lips turned into a smile and her fangs shown as she nodded politely to Osamu. Sesshomaru's mother removed herself from their side almost as soon as she had introduced them. She made her way back to Sesshomaru's side and watched him watch them. He watched as the man leaned into Gina's ear, and her flirtatious laugh that followed. She turned her head as he flirted with her and looked directly at Sesshomaru. A cruel smile came over her face before she turned back to Osamu.

"I fear I do not like her very much, Sesshomaru." The Lady said.

"You wouldn't be the only one. I don't trust her."

"Well, you are just going to have to get used to her. As I said, she is Monomaru's daughter and she will be the one to take his place."

"Why her and not her sister?" Sesshomaru asked curiously. It was not as if Gina was older than Hana, if not by a few minutes.

"I don't know, Monomaru won't tell me what's going on over there. He went over there a while ago and has not returned. He has only sent a letter to me. But I fear Hana has fallen out of his favor."

This confused Sesshomaru. "We will find out soon enough."

….

A mess of long black hair hung over the side of a luxurious looking bed. On the bed, there was a female body strung about belly down in a lazy manner with only a light kimono covering it. Her face was white, and the moon on her cheek glistened. A large hand reached down, cupping her face within it. Hana's eyes moved upwards to look at her Father as he leaned down, placing a kiss on her cheek. He let her head back down to rest and sighed before running his fingers through her silky black hair.

"You look so much like your mother now." He said.

"You are no longer angry." She replied.

"This old man has decided to forgive you." His large hands stroked her hair.

Hana closed her eyes.

 _Gina rubbed an oil onto her sisters arm and Hana winced at the smell._

" _It is most putrid." Hana complained, covering her nose._

" _It's the only thing that will cover up that smell. You don't want him finding out, do you?"_

" _No."_

" _So shut up and pretend you are ill."_

" _I am ill."_

 _Gina finished and sat at her side._

" _It's not all that bad." She told Hana._

" _For you, maybe."_

 _They heard a thud outside and Hana sank into her cushion a bit more. Gina stood and made her way down the hall and to the door. Before she could open it, Monomaru had made his way inside._

" _I said we don't want you here." Gina said harshly._

 _Monomaru ignored her, pushing her softly to the side as he walked down the hallway. She put her hands on her hips and began to follow him._

" _Are you deaf, Father?" She snarled._

 _Again, he ignored her and pushed forward until he came to the room where Hana was resting. He saw her sitting neatly on a cushion with her knees to the side. He studied her from a distance, her looks and her scent._

" _Hello, Father." Hana said, with a weak smile on her face._

 _After a moment of staring at Hana, Monomaru turned back to his other daughter. He brought his hand back and laid the biggest smack he could possibly manage across her smug face. Gina stumbled for a moment, holding her face. Hana's eyes widened in shock and her back straightened as she sat up on her knees._

" _You try to deceive me by covering up her scent." He stated. "Lucky for me, I am no fool."_

 _Gina growled angrily as she began to yell. "So I did! I'll kill you for laying your hands on me, old man!"_

 _She lunged at him with her claws, growling all the while. She connected a few times with his shoulders and chest, and his robes ripped from the sharpness of her claws. He pushed her back, and she swiped at his face, causing a long red line to form across his cheek with all the other scars that lined it. When she swiped at him again, he grabbed at both of her arms and held them tight to stop her attacks. His eyes were somber but his hold was aggressive. Hana sat there on her knees with her head in her hands. It was not unlike her father and sister to fight, but it never usually came to blows. So she sat there, unable to stop them._

" _It is not my wish to destroy my own child." Monomaru growled angrily. "So back down."_

 _Gina glared at him before taking a deep breath out and nodding. "I will. But only because Mother would not want this."_

 _He let go of her and she brushed her kimono off angrily. He wiped his cheek before he spoke again. "Leave us. I wish to speak with your sister alone."_

" _Fine." Gina growled, turning to leave. She stormed out, not happy with the encounter she had with her Father._

 _Hana saw as he approached her and she let her gaze meet the ground. She did not wish to look him in the eyes. She watched his feet as they moved in her direction._

" _I am sorry, Father." She said._

" _You dishonor me. You have let a demon into your bed."_

" _Forgive me." She whispered._

 _Monomaru growled low, turning his back to her. "I have no choice but to disown you. I thought I could trust my daughter to be chaste."_

 _Hana felt her heart drop inside of her as she stood on her feet and moved towards him. "Please, do not say these things. You don't mean it. Father, I have been alive for three hundred years. You could not expect me to wait forever."_

" _I can count on one hand how many noble demons have sought you out properly. But you refused all of them."_

 _Hana sighed, shaking her head. "If I were to take a husband, Gina and I would be separated."_

" _Maybe it's about time you were." Monomaru turned, glaring at her. "No matter. Who will ask for your hand, now? No one."_

" _I don't care. I do not want any of them."_

" _But you did want to fulfill your carnal desires. So you did, and now you are carrying an illegitimate child."_

 _Hana turned away from him, biting her lip._

"Who was it?" Monomaru's voice snapped her out of it as he let his fingers stroke her face.

"No one." Hana answered, staring out the window.

"I have every right to know who did this to you. Allow me to avenge your honor."

Hana turned onto her back and looked into her father's eyes, shaking her head. She knew that if she told Monomaru who it was, he would go after him. Although he could be harsh, Hana loved her Father very much and did not want to risk him getting into a battle with a younger dog demon who may very well come out victorious. The thought of losing him caused her to keep her lips sealed tightly. She felt his hands lift her head as he rubbed his nose with hers in an affectionate manner.

…..

The meeting was almost over at the estate of Sesshomaru. He had met all of the dog demons from different regions, and watched as Gina charmed all of them with her beauty and elegance. He did not like that she was here in his home because he felt her ill will, but he knew it was his job now to keep things peaceful between the East and West. If that meant having to be on good terms with Gina, then so be it. Although she had not spoken to him the whole night other than to greet him and his Mother. And even then, her politeness was put on and not at all sincere. He looked around, snapping himself out of his thoughts, and saw that he could not find the demoness in the crowd anymore. He sniffed the air, and began to follow her scent.

((Meanwhile))

" _What a terrible bore this meeting is." Gina thought, climbing the stairs of the castle silently. "It's time to find out what is going on around here. "_

Gina made it to the top of the stairs and looked behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed. She glided down the hallway until she came to a familiar door and let herself in, closing the door behind her. She quietly investigated Sesshomaru's chambers, smelling the air. There was a faint smell of a woman in the room, and so she began to softly search through the room for signs of this. She was careful to put everything back where it was left after looking at it. When she came across an odd looking box, she opened it. She saw a bunch of little trinkets in the box and thought to herself that Sesshomaru would not keep such things around. But when she caught the smell of human on the things, her eyes narrowed.

"What is this stuff?" She asked herself before placing everything back and snapping the box closed. She was about to leave before she spied a bit of pink fabric hanging out of a chest he had lying about in the room. She made her way over to the chest and slowly began to lift it, revealing a pink and yellow kimono.

"I knew it. But this smell is the same.." She held the garment up to her nose and took a deep breath in before pausing. "It can't be.."

"What are you doing?" She could hear Sesshomaru's voice boom from the doorway.

Her face tightened as she lifted the kimono out of the chest and turned to face him, holding the garment up in the air in her closed fist. She looked him directly in his eyes, her face was full of disgust.

"You are sick, Sesshomaru." She said. "A human woman?"

"That is none of your business, Gina. I suggest you leave this room."

"You shouldn't consort with mortals, it's not right." She shook her head, exasperated by her discovery.

"You do not get to decide that for me."

"Where is she?" She said softly.

Sesshomaru stood silently, not answering her.

"Fine, don't tell me. I already have her scent." She said, throwing the kimono on the bed. She went to move past Sesshomaru and he stopped her, holding her by her arm.

"You are not to seek her out. I will know if you do and I will come for you."

She smiled at him, not moved by his scare tactics. "You think you scare me, Sesshomaru? Besides, what makes you think I would harm a single hair on her head? I have no reason."

"You deny jealousy, then?"

"Jealous. Ha! The very thought. I can have whoever I desire. And it surely isn't a demon who sleeps with his dinner. No, no. I am merely looking out for my dear sister. She really is in a difficult position."

"Explain." He demanded.

"Find out yourself. I am leaving." She said. "If you would so kindly let go of me."

Sesshomaru thought he might murder the demoness where she stood if she were around him any longer. So he let go of her arm, and she smiled at him.

"Don't worry. I'll keep your little secret." She teased before disappearing down the hallway.

He felt something in him grow uneasy. He gently picked up the kimono that laid on the bed, and put his face in it, breathing in before he returned it to the chest.

" _How can I protect you if you are not here?" He thought. "How am I to know if you're fine when you are so far away?"_

(That is a wrap for Chaper 22! Oh my gosh 12,000 words and I only got down like half of what I wanted to fit in this chapter. I hope you guys liked. Plz Check out my other fics and Stay tuned )

 _._


	23. Chapter 23: Sesshomaru's Predicament

(Hello! New chapter. Woot. Gave myself a deadline of today so I did it up. Lol So forgive any spelling errors I may have missed. Didn't get as much down as I wanted to but couldn't make you guys wait anymore! Xoxo enjoy)

Chapter 23: Sesshomaru's Predicament

 _It has been four days since I was brought here by his mother to serve the Western Lord. I haven't seen him since the night I came here, though. Not that I saw his face, anyway. If I can assume he is like the other dog demons, he must be fearsome. The Lady was nice enough, but her male partner was frightening to look at. Either way, I will make sure to stay out of the way. However, Master Jaken is not at all fearsome. He is small and kind, much unlike the traders I've had to deal with the past year. Those horrible brutes let their leather hides fall on your back just for looking at them the wrong way. So far, Jaken's only had me tidy up around the castle, which was a bit of a task initially after the gathering they had. These big demons can leave such a mess. But there isn't much to clean when there is only Master Jaken and I about the castle. He says he does not know where the Lord Sesshomaru is, and that he must be away. Today he has asked me to clean the Lord's chamber._

Nami's fluffy long tail brushed from one side to the other as she climbed the large stairway, a bucket in hand. Her red hair was braided off to the side, and it was slung over her bare white shoulders. Her kimono was small and green and really brought out her emerald eyes. When she made it completely up the stairs, she sighed and rubbed her small freckled nose. She thought of her old life back at the den and let out a small smile, fond of her memories of all those who had passed on. Being in the castle had helped with her grief. Now that she was able to grieve openly, she was beginning to heal. As she strolled down the hallway, she began to sing. Nami was never silenced here in the castle and so she enjoyed being able to sing freely while she worked.

When she made it to Sesshomaru's chambers, she opened the door and pushed her way in, singing all the while. She placed down the bucket that she had in her hands and grabbed out a rag, and began to dust around the room. Although she was small, she was only slightly smaller than an average human girl, so she was able to easily reach the tops of the furniture in the room. She dusted off some jars and glass pieces.

((Meanwhile))

The dog demon Lord let a single eye open when he heard a voice outside the door. He had been wandering the land for days, guarding the West from a certain female dog demon who never came. He was worried about Gina's intentions. After he felt that she was not going to be a problem as of now, he had returned to his chambers to rest. He had been asleep for a couple hours when the little voice roused him. It was singing a lovely little song. It belonged to a female, and his heart hoped it was Rin, although he already knew it was not her. His Rin never sang anymore. When he listened to the words of the song, he found that it was not in his native tongue but it was sung in the same language that the Eastern dog demons spoke among themselves.

" _It's the fox demon. She must be from the East. I was so worried about Gina wreaking havoc in the West, I completely forgot about the young girl my Mother brought here." He thought._

Under his sheets, he heard her enter and begin to tidy up around the room. He became angry that his space was being invaded. He was cross with Jaken for not making sure the room was empty before sending her in. But he also found that her voice brought a certain comfort that he hadn't felt in a long time. It made him miss Rin more than anything. She used to sing to him all the time. He was still for a minute, listening to her voice fill the room with a certain lightness. When he was ready, he began to move to sit up, and looked over to the fox demon. He studied her as she dusted off a jar.

Nami heard rustling around in the room and stopped suddenly, her tail sticking up. She slowly looked over to see the large white demon sitting up in his bed with his sheet covering him from the waist down. Before she could catch a real look at him, she panicked, dropping the cloth on the floor. Instinctively, she fell to her knees and made a low bow. Her braid decorated the floor as she kept her head down. Quickly, she spouted the first thing that came to her mind.

"My Lord! I did not know you were in here." She said, startled. "Forgive me for intruding."

Sesshomaru expected this reaction from the fox girl. In any other castle, a servant might be punished severely for disturbing the Master while he slept. But she did not yet know Sesshomaru, and therefore did not know he was not like that. He sighed and stood up out of the bed, throwing his robes on. Nami waited nervously, her nose touched the ground so she could not see him. She was frozen in this position, waiting for Seshomaru to speak. The longer he didn't speak, the more nervous she became.

"I assume Jaken sent you in here." He said, his voice unreadable.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." She answered. "Neither of us thought you were here. Please, show mercy. I will not do it again."

Sesshomaru was put off by the young girl's desperation. He did not want her to fear him as much as she did.

"Pick your head up, girl. There is no need to cower. I am not going to harm you."

Nami slowly lifted her head and sat up on her knees, finally taking a good look at Sesshomaru. His face was not as scary as she imagined it would be, it was soft and stoic. She began to calm as she saw him sit on the bed.

"Where are you from?" He asked.

"The Eastern Line. Although I haven't been there in a year or more."

He was just now catching onto her slight accent. "Your skills in language tell me that you weren't born into servitude."

"No, sir, I grew up with my family. We were not wealthy, but we were comfortable. About a year ago my den was raided. Everyone was either killed or taken."

"You speak very well for one who is not native to the Western lands. Tell me, how many languages do you speak?"

"Just the two, my Lord."

He went silent for a couple minutes, taking in the new information. He smelled the air. The fox girl had a fine scent. He could tell from her musk that she was a healthy young female and untouched by any males. It was popular among traders to leave a young girl like her a virgin to drive up the price. And she was attractive, there was no argument. Why had his mother chosen her for him? _"I know how you like the company of small creatures." He remembered her speaking these words, her smile suggestive in nature.._ Was it her intention to have him satisfy himself with this young demon so he would be distracted and lose interest in Rin?

" _What a foolish attempt."_ He shook his head, feeling bad about the girl being an unwilling participant in his mother's subtle encouragements.

"Come with me." He said standing.

Nami stood onto her feet and timidly began to follow the large man into the hall and down the stairs. She was wondering exactly where he was leading her. When they came to the throne room, Jaken was there sifting through some scrolls. When he saw Sesshomaru, he lit up for a moment.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You are back!" He shouted.

Sesshomaru glared at Jaken and the toad cringed. He saw Nami silently standing behind him.

"Jaken, I suggest you check next time before you send someone to disturb me. After several days of overseeing the territory, I expect to come home and rest peacefully."

"Of course, my Lord! I apologize!" The toad demon squeaked.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at him before sitting down. Nami looked over to Jaken and then to Sesshomaru, folding her hands together.

"That aside, we need to address the situation with the young fox demon. So be prepared to write." He said, turning his head to Nami. "I know that you have no family to go back to, so I will make you an offer little Nami. Stay here and continue to work in the castle, I will pay you for your work and also for you to be my personal translator. If that does not suit you, you can choose to walk out of here today."

Jaken gasped. "My Lord, you jest! You couldn't possibly be serious. Your Lady Mother will be very cross."

Sesshomaru did not pay attention to Jaken as he studied the young girl's facial changes. At first she looked shocked, and then as if she were thinking. He knew almost for certain the girl would choose to leave and never look back.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you've only just met me and you have given me my freedom." She said, a tear cornering her eye. "You are so kind. I curse myself for thinking you were fearsome."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I understand it is your choice to leave, then?"

The girl's back snapped upward and she shook her head. "Lord Sesshomaru, I'll stay."

Sesshomaru blinked, as did Jaken. That was not the answer they expected at all.

"It's true that I have no one to return to… no family back home. To not accept an offer of paid work would be foolish. To be given the choice to make my own way means more than anything."

Sesshomaru nodded, standing up. "If that is your decision. Jaken, I will have you sort out the details."

He turned away and began to walk away from both Nami and Jaken, his eyes closed. He stopped by the door and turned back, looking to Jaken.

"I am going to rest. This time uninterrupted."

"Yes, my Lord." Jaken squealed nervously as Sesshomaru left them behind.

"Wow. You didn't tell me that Lord Sesshomaru was so kind." Nami lit up, turning to Jaken.

"To you, maybe." The toad grumbled.

" _My Lord has such a soft spot for young girls. I'll never understand it." He thought, watching young Nami smiling. Her emerald eyes met with his, and he saw how relieved she was to be given this opportunity after what she'd been through. Jaken sighed internally. "Well, maybe a little."_

…

Heavy breathing graced the hallways of a large castle. The walls were lines with portraits of dog demon authorities, past and present. A pig demon slowly made his way down the hall. The heavy breathing turned into growls and moans. He looked to the door the noises were coming from and sighed, walking away from the door. Another pig demon tried to walk by him and he stopped him with his hand politely.

"The Master is busy right now. Best not to disturb him." He said just as an enthusiastic shout came from inside the room. The other pig demon nodded and headed the other way.

Inside the room, there were jewels and trinkets strung about the room messily. A large fancy bed was in the middle of the room, covered by a white lace canopy that had been ripped and stained with blood. On the bed there was a nude female figure being bounced up and down roughly. Her long black hair strung over the male body underneath her. Grunts and growls came from this second body as its hands wrapped around her hips, pulling her into him again and again. The male let out a big groan and the motion between the two ended.

When she rolled off of him, it was the Dog Demon Lord of the North, Osamu. He breathed heavily in his exhaustion, turning to the demoness who laid beside him. She looked ready to go when she sat up. He reached out for her, pulling her into him possessively. He smiled and dug his face into the back of her neck.

"Don't leave yet. I should like to look upon you just a little bit longer." He purred into her ear.

"Of course you should." Her flirty voice answered.

"Gina, I am smitten. There has never been a lover like you." He said. "I should request your hand properly."

The dog demoness smiled before planting a kiss upon the marked forehead of the Northern Lord. "You forget, my dear. I have my own territory to take over. It wouldn't work out."

"Our responsibilities are heirs do us a disservice sometimes. It is a shame."

"I think I will enjoy it. This position is my birthright, and I intend to take it. Unless by some weird chance of fate, the Lady of the West bears my Father a son. Even then, I don't think I would let him take my place when he came of age."

"And you would stop him how?" Osamu teased, stroking her face gently with his claw. "Surely a younger male demon would be very capable of moving you forcibly."

"If the day should come, I would like to see him try. Do not make assumptions about my strength." She said smiling. Her fangs hung over her rouge lips.

"I must say it is progressive of the elder dog demons to enter this unofficial arrangement." Osamu changed the subject.

"If it gets my Father off my back, great."

"He is a tough old man, huh? I had one of those."

"Yes and no. He's got a tough exterior, but his heart is too big. After our mother was killed, we became his life. He was going on the other day about throwing my twin sister out, but he won't do it. He loves her too much."

"Why would he do that to begin with?"

"My twin finds herself in a very delicate condition."

Osamu sat up, looking into her eyes. "That is a problem. Especially if the father is of lesser blood."

"The child is pureblood."

Osamu raised an eyebrow. "So it is a full blooded dog demon?"

Gina nodded.

"This is very exciting news. There hasn't been a pure blood born in a very long time."

"I know. Hana and I were the last ones before this."

"How scandalous that the first child born in centuries should be from an unconsummated union."

Gina wrapped her claws around Osamu's chin, pulling his face toward her. "You will remain silent about Hana. If I hear that you've been talking about it, I will be most irate."

"Are you threatening me?" He said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into him.

She smiled and lunged forward, kissing his lips roughly before pulling back. "Yes.."

He pulled her hair back, sinking his teeth into her chest as she moaned. When he released, he made his way to her ear. "Fearless woman, you make my blood boil."

"I know." She smirked happily, before sitting up. "I really must be going. I'm very busy."

"So you will not consider being mine, then?" He said somberly.

Gina shook her head, stroking his hair. "I cannot."

…

The fish below the water line danced around in panic as they were disrupted by a body swimming by them. Rin's long hair flowed with her as she dove deeper. The blue reflections in the water shown on her skin. She spied a clam and grabbed it with her hand before heading towards the surface of the river. She took a deep breath when she was finally above the water.

"Caught another one! Catch!" She said, flinging the clam in the direction of Kohaku, who had started a fire on the side of the river. He watched as it bounced off a rock before getting up to fetch it.

He smiled at her, watching as her face bobbed up and down in the water. "I could never hold my breath long enough to catch these things. You're a real natural at this."

"What can I say? You get plenty of practice when you have to rough it as a kid."

"Well come on. Get out of there before you get too cold." He said as he began to hit the clams with a rock to open them. "I think you've caught plenty."

"Okay. Look the other way." She piped up as she swam to shore.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not looking." Kohaku said, banging open the last clam and placing it close to the fire to cook.

Rin came out of the water and wrung out her hair before grabbing her kimono that she had left out. Wrapping it around herself, she looked over to Kohaku who was lining the clams up perfectly to cook near the fire. Ah Un and Kirara were eating their own meal they had caught in the woods. Neither Kohaku or Rin were sure exactly what they caught, but it didn't matter. Rin smiled before approaching Kohaku.

"It smells good. Look at you, cooking the meal I've caught. Any man would be lucky to have you as their wife." She teased him.

"You poke fun at me, Rin. I will remember this the next time we train together." He replied, smirking.

She sat down next to him, watching him poke at the clams with a stick. She looked at his knuckles and sighed. "So.. did you really beat Keiji?"

"Let's just say he got what was coming to him. I've dealt with his rudeness before, but when I found out what happened, I lost it."

"Do you think he will be trouble in the future?" She asked him.

"I hope not. If he should try to cause trouble though, I will go after him. He would be wise to stay where he is and not interfere with either of us."

Rin nodded her head. She wasn't afraid of Keiji at all. But she couldn't help but feel bad that Kohaku had been roped into this.

"If things go bad on our journey, do not be afraid to leave me. I don't want you getting hurt at all." Rin said.

"I will be doing no such thing. A man does not abandon his friend when the going gets rough." Kohaku said, looking her in the eyes. "Now enough talk. Eat."

Rin smiled and picked up one of the clams and bit it off the shell.

…..

"My Lord, I am so proud that you've chosen me to look after your estate. I won't let you down." Ryokan beamed with delight.

Sesshomaru stood before the large canine, trying to avoid getting too close to him. Ryokan was a clumsy and silly beast. But Sesshomaru trusted him. Jaken stood nearby and watched as his Lord gave his commands to his subject.

" _I wonder where we are headed. Lord Sesshomaru has called upon his subject Ryokan to hold down the fort here while we are gone. Surely, we can at least trust him to make sure that there are no intruders trying to get in here. He is a foolish creature, but very loyal to my Lord. Sesshomaru has led him in battle several times before. Usually he was disappointed with him, but alas, it is hard to find those whom you trust."_

"Be certain that no one comes through these doors. If you should fail me, you know the price." Sesshomaru said, his tough exterior shining.

Jaken knew firsthand that Sesshomaru wasn't going to be killing any of his subjects. But he said these things to keep them in line.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. None will enter this place as long as I have to say anything about it."

"Good. Do your job correctly and you might just have a permanent position here." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Of course, my Lord! I would love nothing more than that." His large fangs curved into a smile.

"Hn." Sesshomaru sighed.

"Lord Sesshomaru." A small voice called from the doorway.

Everyone turned to look at Nami who was standing in the doorway. Her long red hair was braided to the side and her green eyes focused on the new figure in the castle.

"Nami." Sesshomaru said. "This is Ryokan. He will be in charge of guarding the castle in my absence."

"Oh. Of course." Nami said, nodding politely to the newcomer. She shyly looked away from him, frightened by his appearance.

Ryokan looked upon the fox demoness and puffed his chest up in delight. He was taken by her emerald eyes and her coy disposition.

"Pleased to meet you, young Nami." He said, licking his teeth.

Nami looked into the desperate eyes of the old demon and winced before turning to Sesshomaru.

"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you, my Lord? I could be of assistance. You said yourself you might need me to translate for you." She said, not fond of the idea of being alone in the castle with the scary wolf like creature.

"That is true. But I cannot guarantee your safety, Nami. You will have to stay." Sesshomaru said, watching her expressions as he spoke to her. Her freckled cheeks turned red as she placed her hands in front of her.

"Yes, of course." She whispered.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice Ryokan leering at the demoness. He couldn't figure out if he was attracted to the young fox, or if he thought she looked like dinner. Either way, he didn't like it. Over the past month, he had grown fond of the Nami's presence. What his mother had intended to be a temptation for him had turned into something much better. She brought a certain element to the castle that had died in Rin's absence. She was a good little worker, and very smart. The castle had been much more organized with her around.

"I will return as soon as I can." He assured her. "I need a moment alone with Ryokan."

"Yes, my Lord." Nami nodded her head and began to walk away, her eyes lifting to look at Ryokan one more time before she exited the room. She shuddered at his face before disappearing down the hall.

Ryokan's eyes followed her curves as she left. But he was brought to attention when Sesshomaru growled. He looked over to the disgruntled dog demon.

"Understand this, Ryokan. If you should touch a single hair on young Nami, it will be the last thing you do."

"That little vixen? Of course not, Lord Sesshomaru." The demon answered back. "A girl that fine isn't just for anybody. You have great taste, my Lord."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Nami is a subject of Lord Sesshomaru. She is not a concubine, you stupid beast! If you do not leave her be, there will be hell to pay!" Jaken yelled.

Sesshomaru cracked a small smirk at Jaken's tirade. He was by far the most fond of the girl, and very protective of her. He knew that Jaken had lingering paternal tendencies left from the days where Rin was young and needed his guidance. He was always following Nami around and giving her advice, even when she didn't need or want it. But she was very fond of him as well, and it made everything very calm.

"Jaken, we must be going." Sesshomaru said.

"Yes, my Lord!" Jaken piped up. "Where are we going by the way?"

"Personal matters in the East." Was all he said.

His face wrinkled. _"They are keeping something from me. I know it."_

…

The sounds of grunting and shouting from a woman could be heard throughout the castle walls and in the courtyard. Everybody throughout the perimeter was very still and somber as they continued for what seemed like hours. Nobody wanted to be in the place of the Lord's young mistress at this moment. She had gone into labor unexpectedly and had spent the whole day in misery. Akio sat in a room far away by himself, stewing in his own nerves.

"This should be a happy day Why am I not happy?" He asked himself aloud.

The door slid open and a servant girl stood at the door, looking worried. "Ami is having difficulties, my Lord. The midwife sent me to let you know."

Akio growled to himself. _"Look what you've done. This is your doing." His mind scowled at him. "If you had just left her alone, this would not be happening."_

The young girl saw his temper flaring and closed the door quickly. Soon after, a vase had been thrown up against the door. It shattered into a million pieces. Akio crouched down in the middle of the room, his hand covering his face.

"Why are you like this?" He inquired of himself. "You terrible beast."

His father opened the door and looked to his son, crouched down and miserable in the middle of the room. He stepped around the broken china and sat by his son, sighing.

"Today is the day things change for you." Lord Eito said.

"Leave me alone, Father, I have no time for your lectures right now."

"My son, you must give up on this vengeance you hold so close to your heart. It is destroying everything and everyone that surrounds you. You are going to welcome a child into the world today."

"Another child to welcome into such an unwelcome world." He responded.

Eito sighed. "Everything I've worked my whole life to achieve here can be ruined so easily. I just hope you can see that."

Akio remained silent, not wishing to answer his disappointed Father. _"If this is my fate, I will be the one that destroyed everything."_

They were silent for a few minutes, and Eito slowly stood up. The quick sound of footsteps could be heard scurrying up the hallway. The servant girl from earlier was at the door. She slid it open, and looked to both Eito and Akio.

"My Lord, it is done. It's a boy." She said initially.

"Thank you, child." Eito said, turning to face Akio. "This is good news."

The look on the girls face was full of concern. "As you know, the baby was a little early. He is small, but seems to be okay."

"Something is wrong." Akio said, not turning to face the girl in the doorway.

The girl bit her lip and nodded. "While the baby is fine, we aren't so sure Ami is."

Akio winced at her words. "Let the doctor see her."

"Yes, my Lord." The girl took off with speed to fetch the doctor.

Eito sighed and shook his head. "These things happen."

"It's all my fault." Akio said.

"There is nothing you could do to stop it. But now, you must go and see her."

Akio stood up and looked over to his father, red in the face. He turned, slamming the door open and thudded down the hall. There were servants lining the hall, and they lowered their head when they saw him coming. He scoffed as he made his way to the room where the baby had been delivered.

When he opened the door, he saw the midwife. She was a large middle aged woman with a scowl on her face. In her arms, there was a tiny silent infant wrapped in a white blanket with a small tuft of black hair on the top of his head. The midwife looked to Akio surprisedly but nodded, bringing the child to him. She placed the baby carefully onto his arm, and he saw that the child was asleep. A strange feeling overcame him when he saw the little boy. He wanted to smile, but couldn't. He lifted his head and looked down and saw Ami.

She was lying silently on a futon, covered by a sheet with her eyes closed. She looked sickly and pale. "When did she pass out?"

"Right after the baby was born." The midwife answered. There were a few other women around Ami, trying to help her. Something in him stirred.

"Leave us. I want everyone gone until the doctor gets here." He said.

"But, my Lord-" The midwife argued.

"Just go."

The midwife sighed and nodded to the girls in the room. They all began to leave the room, nodding respectfully to Akio before they left. The door closed behind them, and he let out a sigh. He slowly sat down next to Ami's limp body. He could hear the light sound of her breaths.

"Ami.." He said, hoping to rouse her. When she didn't respond, he held the baby tighter to him. The baby began to fuss.

" _He is small.. How is he to survive without her?" He panicked. "Ami.."_

Akio gently placed the baby on her chest and brought his hand to her forehead. It was cold and clammy. She stirred a little and her eyes opened slightly.

"The baby is okay.." Her voice was like a whisper. "I can hear breathing.." She winced when she tried to pick her head up.

"Don't try to get up. The doctor will be here soon." Akio said. "Our son is fine. He is right here."

"A boy.." She said weakly. "I want to see him."

Akio scooped the baby up with his arm and brought him around to show Ami. A small smile came over her face, although it was very clear she was in great pain and barely conscious.

"He is wonderful." She whispered, her shaky hand reaching out for the baby.

"Ami, you need to relax. You are ill." He stated.

"I'll be okay…"

Her eyes fluttered as she fell out of consciousness.

"Dammit." Akio grunted aloud. "Where is that damn doctor?"

The baby began to cry and the door flew open and the old man entered, the servant girl following him.

"It's about time." Akio growled.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." The doctor apologized. "I came as soon as I could."

Akio's face was red and angry. He watched as the doctor began to check Ami's vitals as the baby screamed in his arms.

"If she doesn't make it, I'm holding you responsible."

…

" _Lord Sesshomaru refuses to tell me why we are headed to the East. It's been two days without so much as two words! I fear it might not be a very peaceful visit, as he said it was personal. I wish he had never gotten into it with those two horrible demonesses. I'm sure he wishes that as well, now that he has decided to take Rin as his mate. I just hope I do not get in the way of any of these dog demons."_

Jaken looked over to Sesshomaru and sighed. He looked so relaxed that there was no way of telling what kind of errand they were running. Sesshomaru stopped suddenly when they reached a large black building.

"Is this it my Lord?" Jaken inquired.

"This is the home of the Eastern dog demons. Do not speak to them unless I say so."

Before Jaken could answer, the creek of a door could be heard opening. They looked over and saw Monomaru exiting from the estate. He closed the door behind him, and a smile came over his face.

"Little cousin, to what do we owe this visit?" His large voiced boomed.

Sesshomaru frowned. He had thought by now that beast would have returned to his Mother's palace. "Monomaru."

Monomaru realized that Sesshomaru had not realized he would be there. "Surprised to see me here, Sesshomaru? Well, this is still my territory, you know." The large dog demon chuckled. "If you were hoping to see Gina, she is not in right now."

Jaken looked to Sesshomaru, waiting for him to say something.

"I am not here to see Gina. I have business to discuss with Hana."

Monomaru's eyebrows tightened as he studied Sesshomaru's face. "I think you are confused, cousin. It is Gina who will be taking over my place. If there is business between our regions, I am the one you want to see."

"I do not wish to discuss anything with you." Sesshomaru objected.

Monomaru was taken aback by his statement. He shook his head. "Well then, Sesshomaru. I'm afraid you won't be speaking to anyone then."

"Where is she, Monomaru?" Sesshomaru became impatient.

"Little cousin, Hana is none of your concern."

"She might be. Why are you keeping her?"

Monomaru glared. "She isn't seeing anyone at the moment."

Sesshomaru growled and looked up and into the windows of the estate. He saw the shadowed figure of a woman looking down at him and Monomaru. A small pale hand leaned against the frame and black locks fell over the side. "If it is not her wish to see me, I should like to hear it from her myself."

Monomaru's chest puffed up and he looked at Sesshomaru with a dominant air about him. He was larger bodied than the young Lord, but Sesshomaru was not intimidated.

"I don't know what your errand but she is under my protection and therefore I will decide who sees her." Monomaru said. "I am becoming most impatient with you, cousin."

Sesshomaru took a step toward Monomaru. "So you refuse to let her speak for herself?"

"Why exactly are you so intent on seeing her, Sesshomaru?"

"That is not your concern."

Monomaru glared as his eyes studied every inch of the dog demon's face and body language. His face turned into a frown. "It was you."

" _What is Monomaru going on about? Why does he refuse to let my Lord speak to young Hana?" Jaken thought from the sidelines as he took in the scene before him._

Sesshomaru blinked and looked back up to see that the figure was no longer there. Looking back to Monomaru, he clenched his teeth.

"I don't know what you are talking about but I am seeing her whether or not you want me to. Move aside or I will be forced draw my weapon."

"Not you." The aura around Monomaru became very strong as he lifted his hand to his face, as if he was in pain.

Sesshomaru's face wrinkled as he began to put his hand on his weapon. "I demand to know what's going on here."

Monomaru glared and his teeth shone from his lips as his voice boomed. "As if you don't know. You couldn't handle my arrangement with your Mother so you thought you would help yourself to my child?"

Sesshomaru and Monomaru drew their weapons at the same time and stood across from each other. Jaken squeaked and made his way further off to the side.

" _This is bad. This is really bad. If these two fight, the damage will be widespread. Such powerful beasts." He thought._

"Even after what you've done, it is not my desire to destroy the child of my woman." Monomaru said in conflict, his sword glowing red before him.

"What makes you think you can defeat me?" Sesshomaru stated before swinging at Monomaru.

Monomaru's sword caught Sesshomaru's before he could complete the swing. The old demon cocked back his fist and brought it forward, hitting Sesshomaru directly on his cheekbone. The younger dog demon stumbled back but then lunged forward, crashing into Monomaru. The two dog demons crashed together, causing a big flash of light. When the light dissipated, their swords were thrown from them and they had both transformed.

Jaken ducked away as the swords came whizzing past his head. He found a boulder nearby and hid himself behind it. There was nothing he could possibly do to help Sesshomaru. Not that he ever needed his help. He cringed at the sight of the two large white dog demons who were both almost as big as the estate before them. They both snarled and lunged at each other. They snapped and circled each other furiously. "My Lord!" Jaken yelled in concern.

Sesshomaru snapped and connected with Monomaru's leg and the old demon bit his ear in response. They both growled and rolled around, blood dripping from their bites. Jaken had never seen such a raw, fierce fight before. Monomaru was slow, but large. It would seem the two were well matched although Sesshomaru seemingly had the upper hand with his speed.

Suddenly a black shadow appeared, slamming into both of the white dog demons, separating them. They both stumbled back and looked to see what the interruption was, growling and bearing their teeth. There was a smaller black dog demon between them, growling at both of them.

" _Is that Hana?" Jaken thought._

The black dog snarled at Sesshomaru and then let out a small painful yelp before stumbling and sitting on its back legs. Sesshomaru stopped and watched as Monomaru ran over to the small one. There was a small flash of light and the dog demoness had transformed back. She was sitting up on the ground, her eyes closed tightly shut and holding her side.

Both of the male dog demons were distracted from each other at her interruption, and Sesshomaru was not a coward, so he would not be striking Monomaru when his back was turned to help Hana. Monomaru transformed back and knelt down to assist Hana in standing. She growled angrily as she held her side. Her long black kimono flowed around her figure, half ripped as her black locks fell around her curves.

"The both of you need to stop." She managed to say through her growls. "Father, this is my problem. Not yours."

"Hana.. You should not have done that. You could have been killed. Let me protect you." Monomaru scolded. His leg was injured, but he did not show any signs of pain as he kept his arm around Hana, supporting her.

"I do not need protection. I am fine." She argued.

Sesshomaru had transformed back and had taken his sword back into its sheath. His ear had been bleeding but it was already starting to heal. All the while, he was watching the interaction between Monomaru and Hana. He studied her body, and took notice to the changes as his mind began to put the pieces together.

" _I see now. The signs were all there. I've been purposely ignorant. I didn't want to believe it." Sesshomaru thought. "How could they have kept something like this hidden from me?"_

"Hana, do not argue. You are not in the right condition now. That was a foolish thing you did." Her father argued. "I want you to go back inside and let me deal with this."

"Father, I will not allow any more fighting. You are too old." She said, collecting herself.

Monomaru growled but Hana stood her ground and looked over to Sesshomaru. It looked as if he already knew what was going on, and so she waited for him to speak.

"Why have you kept this from me?" Sesshomaru demanded to know.

"What would you have said or done if I told you?" Hana said, shaking her head. "I kept you in the dark because I did not want you to claim it."

" _You mean that dog demoness is expecting? My Lord has fathered a child?!" Jaken gasped. "What happens now?"_

"That is not your decision to make." Sesshomaru said. "You should have known I would find out eventually. You should have told me."

Hana growled. "And so what will you do then?" She shouted.

Monomaru's teeth clenched together angrily as a silence overcame them. Sesshomaru was quiet for a moment so he could gather his thoughts.

" _What am I to say? I did not intend for this to happen. But I cannot avoid this either."_

"I will take responsibility for what is mine." He said.

"So you will do the proper thing and be joined with my daughter." Monomaru interrupted angrily.

"I don't want that, Father." Hana objected.

"It doesn't matter what you want. This is a chance to redeem your honor." He stated.

"That is not going to happen." Sesshomaru said. "This Sesshomaru takes care of his business. I will be responsible only for my offspring."

"I'm afraid not." Monomaru said. "I will not stand for this. My daughter is a noblewoman, Sesshomaru. Not some whore you can impregnate and cast aside. Unless you decide to correct your mistake, you will not have access to the child."

"You do not have that kind of authority." Sesshomaru argued.

"Guess again, Sesshomaru. You have broken my trust and attacked me. You threaten the alliance between the Eastern and Western lands. If it weren't for your Mother, I would cut it off immediately. I have nothing more to say to you, little cousin… Hana, come." Monomaru said, heading toward the door. There was a small trail of blood following him from his wounded leg, but his composure would have you think he was not in pain at all. "We will no longer be speaking with Sesshomaru. That is, until he decides to do what is expected of him."

Hana looked over to Sesshomaru, and tried to read his face but it could not be read. Her eyes were full of hatred. It was very obvious that she wanted nothing more to do with him. But he had already made his decision.

" _What is my blood is mine. This is not the end of this discussion." He thought as he looked back into the angry eyes of the demoness._

"HANA." Monomaru's voice made her snap out of it. She looked over to see her father waiting impatiently for her. She turned back to Sesshomaru and almost spat in his direction.

"Goodbye, Sesshomaru." She said before turning on her heel.

She walked past the door and into her father's estate without so much as looking back at him. Sesshomaru watched as she disappeared into the blackness of the room. Monomaru looked to Sesshomaru and glared before he followed her in and slammed the door shut behind him.

Jaken removed himself from his hiding spot slowly before running over to Sesshomaru. "My Lord, I can't believe this! How dare that ugly demon speak to you that way. He has no right! Why if I were you I would-"

"Be silent, Jaken." Sesshomaru said before bringing his hand to his head. He turned around and walked away, not waiting up for him.

"Yes, sir." Jaken squeaked. His mind was racing as they both walked into the distance.

" _How could I have allowed this? Why didn't Gina tell me when she had the chance? She wanted me to come here to find out this way. She wanted Monomaru to confront me. She is a fool if she thinks I would succumb to his demands. There is only one mate I have in mind and it certainly isn't Hana. It will never be. I can't march in there and attack Monomaru either, because Hana will come to his defense. This is a very delicate situation to be handled differently. I always thought this would happen another way. I would have my mate, and she would be the only one to bear my children. How will Rin react to this discovery? She has always been so flexible and patient with me, even when I didn't deserve it. Father, why does every attempt to be unlike you prove to be a failure. Your path has become mine. I only hope I should be able to handle it. Rin... Where are you? I need you now more than ever.. and you are gone. I told you I would be patient and wait for you to come to me. It will be hard, but I will try."_

…

" _My son, the only thing that keeps me going. I used to think there was nothing that could surpass my love for my Lord, but I was wrong. When I came to, I saw the most beautiful face I've ever seen. He needed me so much, and it had been a whole two days since I had given birth to him. They were able to find a woman who was feeding to help my son when I was recovering. Now he has me, but I cannot do much. The birth almost killed me, and I am still too weak to go outside. We stay in the room most of the time and he sleeps. My Lord calls my son Kito, so I guess that must be his name. Although I would have liked to be part of that decision, I am happy with it."_

Ami smiled down at her little baby as he slept in her arms. Sitting up, her stringy brown hair fell everywhere. She gently stroked her son's face.

A sound coming from the doorway caught her attention. Lady Mai entered the room and smiled a false smile, kneeling down by Ami. Ami smiled back politely, even though she didn't want to.

"My Lady, what can I do for you?" Ami quieried. That woman never came around unless she wanted something.

"Ami, how is our young heir?" Lady Mai asked, smiling at the little boy and stroking his small tuft of black.

"Kito is doing well. He is gaining weight." Ami said, not surprised that the Lady would not be concerned for her wellness.

"Well that's great." Lady Mai said, before reaching out for the baby.

Ami didn't want to hand off the baby to the Lady, but relented and placed Kito gently into his grandmothers arms.

"He is handsome, like his Father." Mai said before standing up.

Ami nodded her head.

"I will return with him." She said before turning.

Ami's blood boiled at this. "You can't take him."

Lady Mai turned, looking at Ami as if she had a third arm. "And why not?"

"Because he is my son and he needs me."

"How dare you talk to me like that." The Lady was shocked. "I am the Lady of this castle and his grandmother and I am taking him outside with me."

"I will not let him out of my sight." Ami shouted, pulling herself up to her feet with some nearby furniture.

"Look at you." Lady Mai said, chuckling. "You can't even stand up without fumbling. Be a good girl and stay here, won't you?"

"Mother." A voice could be heard from the door.

"My son!" Lady Mai turned to face her son, smiling.

"What is this?" He queried, looking into his Mother's arms at the sleeping infant. "Why do I hear yelling?"

"I am simply trying to get young Kito some fresh air and this crazy girl of yours is shouting at me." Lady Mai scoffed.

Akio looked at Ami trying to stay on her feet and then back to his Mother. He reached out for the child, taking him into his arms.

"Mother. Leave us. Do not attempt to take my child away from his mother again."

Lady Mai scoffed. "Akio, you are a miserable son. How dare you put this whore before your mother."

"If I am a miserable son, mother, you only have yourself to blame for it." Akio's eyes glared into his Mothers.

She gritted her teeth angrily before turning on her heel and taking off down the hallway. "Ungrateful swine! I gave you everything!"

Akio did not let her words get to him. He held his son close to him as he walked over to Ami, who's legs were having a hard time staying straight.

"Thank you. I cannot bear to be apart from him." She said, a tear making its way down her eye.

"I know." Akio said. "Let us take him outside."

Ami paused for a moment and when she looked into Akio's eyes, she saw the same eyes she had fallen for the day she was rescued. She let out a sigh before wrapping an arm around one of his to balance herself. She smiled and time seemed to slow down as she let him lead her down the halls of the castle and outside. The warm sun felt nice on her face.

They found a bench to sit on outside and he gently placed Kito in her arms. She smiled at Akio, and sighed at the peace she felt. "I do miss feeling like this." She managed to say.

"What do you mean, Ami?"

"At peace. When Kito was born, a peace came over you. Please tell me it is here to stay."

" _How I wish I could tell you yes." He thought. "But I cannot make that promise. I know I will lose myself again."_

They spent a couple hours sitting in silence, taking turns holding the infant before they heard men coming from a distance. Ami looked into the distance and saw the crew that Akio had sent to find Rin coming back.

Akio grumbled as they approached the area, knowing they had come up empty handed.

"What is this?" He said aloud, standing up from the bench. Ami held Kito tight to her chest as she let her eyes focus on the different faces before her. "It's been many months since I sent you out, and each time you dare to return empty handed?"

"My Lord." The biggest man said, motioning to Akio. "We may not have found her yet, but we are very close. There is a man who has come forward who claims to have seen her."

"Well where is he?" Akio shouted.

"He wanted to know before he came with us that he would be compensated well for his help. I cannot make that decision for you, my Lord. This man is asking for quite a bit for his aide in finding her. But he assures us her capture if we pay him."

"What is this man's name?"

"Keiji, sir."

"Hm.. He shall have it only after the job is done. You will take me to this man after a week's time. I will need time to prepare for departure." He said.

Ami looked to the ground. She did not like that Akio was still on about finding Rin. She had hoped by now he would have given up on it.

"What a useless bunch you are." Akio growled.

"I think you will change your mind when you see what we have brought you."

Akio's eyebrows wrinkled. The large man snapped his fingers and one of the men pushed through the crowd, holding onto someone else. Their hands were tied behind their back, and they tried to struggle away from the man but to no avail. They were very small in comparison.

"We found her in a village not too far from here working at an elderly man's home. We informed the old man that she was a runaway. He didn't believe us, so we took her by force."

Ami gasped when she saw the face of the captive. _"Kai.."_

"You nearly killed him, you bastard." Kai shouted.

The man laughed at her. "He must have been paying you real well, girl. You sound as if you were in love with him."

Akio walked over slowly and cupped Kai's chin with his hand and just looked into her eyes for a moment. He saw nothing but pure hatred in them.

"My family took you under our wing and raised you after your Mother died. You are in debt to this family, you had no right to leave." He said.

"I have a right to my own life." She said, her voice was tired and raspy from her travel. Her eyes traveled to Ami and stayed there for a moment.

Ami was rooted into the ground, motionless. She was so shocked that such a young helpless girl showed such courage in such an awful situation. At the same time, she worried for Kai's well being. She held her son to her tightly. Akio sighed and released her, turning to the largest man, the leader of the crew.

"I want you to take her inside and beat her. If I don't hear her, I will assume that you are weak and can no longer lead my crew."

"Yes, sir." The leader said, taking Kai gently by the arm and leading her away.

Kai's face didn't change and she didn't argue at all as she was being lead away, but Ami's heart jumped. When the men dissipated and he sat back down, she shook her head.

"My lord, please reconsider. She's still so young."

"And a real pain in my side. I can't do nothing." He stated.

"Your father is going to be very cross. You know how much he adores her." Ami said, trying to use a different excuse.

"He should, he is the one that wanted to keep her when she was a child."

"Is there nothing I can say to you to stop this?" Ami said, sounding upset.

"Do not worry about her. You are only to worry about Kito." Akio said. "He is your concern."

Ami bit her lip as she stopped trying. She wasn't strong enough to stop it herself. She admired Kai's bravery and strength, and wished she was also as bold. When the sounds of shouts came from the castle, she closed her eyes and tried hard to tune it out.

" _I have a right to my own life. She knew I would hear these words."_


	24. C4: The Confession

( Hello, all who have not unsubscribed due to a long, unannounced absence! I apologize for this being months late. A very close person to me got sick in the spring, and then passed away in the summer. Its been a little tough on me and it was hard to write for very long so it took me a while. Thank you for your patience. Things should go back to normal from here.)

Chapter 24

"Do you think those two will be alright without us?" Rin turned to Kohaku as they walked through a crowd of villagers.

The village they were in was very large and there were many, many people about their daily business. No one seemed to know that they were new at all. So Rin assumed they must be used to having travelers come in and out. There were vendors in the center, selling vegetables and trinkets and other market items. The air smelled of freshly cooked fish and spices.

"Yeah, Ah Un and Kirara will be fine. We need supplies, so be sure to keep an eye open for things we need." Kohaku responded to her. She nodded and looked around at the different people, trying to get others to buy their merchandise.

"My good man." An old wrinkly merchant approached Kohaku. He held out a bracelet made of shiny blue gems and began to talk up a sales pitch. "Might you want to buy this exceptional piece of jewelry for that pretty wife of yours? Beautiful women deserve beautiful things."

Kohaku's cheeks turned red and he rubbed the back of his head. "Um.. Uh.. She's not my wife, sir."

"Well, not yet she isn't! You have to gain the favor of a girl like that. What better way to do that but with a nice bracelet."

"Oh… I'm sure we'll be fine. Thank you." Kohaku said embarrassedly.

Rin chuckled under her breath as the man retreated. Kohaku's cheeks remained red as they continued on.

Rin spied a weird looking tent with incense burning on the outside. She didn't recognize the words on the sign outside of it and so she tapped on Kohaku and pointed to it. "Kohaku, what does that say?"

"Oh, don't go in there. These witches will steal you blind if they have the chance. I've seen their type before. They prattle on about their spiritual powers and insight, but they are made up of women who were being trained to be priestesses, but failed to live up to the expectations."

"I see.."

Kohaku moved ahead of Rin to a woman who was selling some fruit. He began to chat with her and Rin tuned them out as she looked back to the tent. She looked back at Kohaku and then to the tent. Her curiosity was taking hold of her.

" _Oh, hell. What could possibly happen?" She thought._

She backed away and began to head for the tent. The smoke of the incense tantalizing her nose, inviting her in to this mysterious place. It was dark inside, save for a few candles. Rin looked around and let her fingers run against the drapes. There was round rug in the middle of the room, looking like it was meant for someone to sit there. Across from it was an old woman dressed in black and grey rags, a cane at her side. Rin slowly made her way over and sat down, crossing her legs.

"Hello, child." The old woman greeted her with a crooked smile. "I can tell you everything you want to know. Of course for a small fee."

"I have this, but I will not be handing it over unless I am certain that you are not trying to make a fool of me."

"I'm sure you will be very happy with my reading, dear girl."

"Impress me." Rin challenged the old woman.

"You are not as naïve as some of these other girls. They do not ask me to prove myself. But, alas, I imagine a girl with such a history as yours cannot afford to be naïve."

"Surely, you don't know anything of my past." Rin said, shaking her head.

"Not too much, yet, no." The old woman said, rubbing her hands with a sandy substance. She reached out and grabbed Rin's hand and closed her eyes. Rin looked at the woman as she breathed slowly.

When the old woman raised her head, she looked into Rin's eyes. She looked up close and then released her.

"I must say, I don't think I've met any like you before. Cheater of death, it is I who should be questioning you."

Rin was startled. Was this woman truly gifted enough to know that she had died before?

"I see a great white man with silver hair, holding a powerful sword. This man means very much to you."

"Sesshomaru." Rin said aloud. She reached into her pouch and placed a small but reasonable payment before the woman.

"That man is not human." The woman said.

"I am aware." Rin said, nodding her head. "But I am in love with him."

"Then why are you here?"

Rin frowned and shook her head. "It is not that easy. I am journeying in search for what keeps us apart. I cannot be with him unless I can make it last. I cannot allow him to put his mark on me until I find it. If he does so right now, he is doomed to be very lonely once I am gone. If I know him, he will not move on. He will not try to find love again. This, I do not want for him. He has already been so lonely for so long."

"Most who want to find the fountain of youth are doing so for very selfish reasons. This is new."

"There is no one who detests life more." Rin said. "If there is one reason to live, it is him."

"And if you do not find it?"

Rin fell silent for a moment. "If you are such a great reader, you should already know."

The lady shook her head and sighed. "Well, this is not my realm. But perhaps there is one who can help you. There is an old priest who lives on the mountainside a few days travel from here."

"Rin!" A voice called from outside.

She stood up before turning to the woman. "Where?"

"Just keep traveling North. You'll know the mountain I speak of when you see it."

Rin nodded to her before exiting the tent. Kohaku was nearby, looking around for her. He sighed when he saw her and shook his head.

…..

Sesshomaru walked around the perimeter of his estate, pondering his situation. He had just gotten back and couldn't bring himself to go inside. There was way too much on his mind. He thought about when he had made himself content with both Gina and Hana, hoping their company would make him forget about Rin.

" _I should have prepared myself for this. It was bound to happen. Surely, a demon of my stature is capable of fathering many children. But I was too busy satisfying myself to think about it. Such a fool. Just like my old man. He was quite the philanderer. I want to be different from him in this way, if nothing else. I will not fall prey to the likes of any women who are not her."_

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken approached slowly from behind.

"What do you want?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Will you come inside, my Lord? You've been out for hours. Come rest."

Sesshomaru remained silent, watching the wind roll over the hills.

"She needs to know."

Jaken sighed. "I agree, my Lord. But you've just gotten home. Rest first."

Sesshomaru growled at the pushy little toad as he took a few steps back before he walked past him and into the castle. He looked around and down the hall. He saw Nami walking down the hall and stared for a moment.

"Nami." He said aloud, and she turned. A small smile came over her face.

"Hello, my Lord." She said, nodding her head. "Did you have a successful trip?"

"I found what I was looking for, if that is what you mean." He said, "Was there any goings on around here I should be notified of?"

"No, my Lord, nothing of importance."

He nodded as he smelled the air. "Very well, then. I assume Ryokan did not attempt anything innapropriate while I was away."

Nami shook her head, her long red hair swaying back and forth. "You look very tired, Lord Sesshomaru. Perhaps you should rest."

" _Rest." He thought. "How could I possibly rest with everything on my mind?"_

"I don't know if I can." He said before turning his back to her. He began to walk away in the direction of the staircase and she took a few steps after him. He began to climb the staircase and she stopped at the bottom, watching him go up. Sesshomaru realized her gazing at him and stopped halfway up the steps.

"Is there something you need to ask?" He queried.

"I know you are experiencing pain. It is in the aura that surrounds you. I can feel it. Let me help you." Nami said.

There was a silence between them before he turned. "It is arrogant of you to think you can help a demon as powerful as I."

"I meant no disrespect, Lord Sesshomaru. I want only to show you the kindness you have shown me."

"Have it your way." He said before walking up the rest of the steps.

Nami walked up the stairs after him. When she had climbed the last step she saw the large figure of Sesshomaru entering his chambers. When she followed him, she found him standing at the window, looking out.

"Lord Sesshomaru. What is troubling you?" She asked from the door.

"I have made promises that are going to be very difficult to keep." He said, not turning to look at her as she came closer.

"What happened?" She asked curiously.

"I have created a child with a woman I do not intend to be with."

"These things happen." She sighed, rubbing her arm. "The village I lived in, there were plenty of young vixens who became with child without marrying the father, who of course were all the same person. He was the biggest and most powerful of our tribe, so he attracted the most women and fathered many children. It is just how things are, my Lord."

"Hn." He sighed. "This woman is no commoner. She is one of the two daughters of the retiring Lord of the East. It is not that simple. He has expressed that I will be denied the child if I do not make her my wife."

"Lord Monomaru?" Nami said surprisedly.

Sesshomaru growled at the thought of that pompous old dog wrapping his arms around his Mother.

"What do you know of him?"

"Not much, Lord Sesshomaru. I had only heard stories before seeing him at your Mothers palace."

"Did you have any interactions with him during your time there?"

"Not many, my Lord." She said, her face reddening. "Although it was him who arranged for me to go to your mother's palace."

"Why is it you think that?" He said, turning to look at her.

 _Standing in the hallway of a great palace, Nami kept her head down. There were two girls to the side of her, both fox demons like herself, but neither of them from her tribe. She did not look to them or anyone else. A bat demon twice their size walked by them and Nami gritted her teeth._

" _Chiyo!" A voice boomed from down the hall. Nami was surprised to hear that the voice was speaking in her native tongue. "You're late."_

" _Lord Monomaru. Dare I say your new home here with the Lady of the East is quite grand."_

 _The large demon walked over and Nami looked up for only a second but quickly put her head back down when she saw the stature of the man. He was frightening in no subtle way. Larger than even the bat demon, he was scarred and vicious looking._

" _They are quite small." Monomaru said in dismay, approaching the first fox demon to look at her._

" _Well, my Lord, that is the very nature of vixens." The rat demon replied._

" _You haven't anything else?" Monomaru replied._

" _Picky, picky, my Lord. I did pick the prettiest ones I could find. Do you not like any of them?"_

" _I'm not looking for myself." He said and stopped when he reached Nami._

" _I see. Too bad, my Lord. This one I feel is to your liking. You like green eyes, do you not?"_

 _Nami felt a large hand tilt her chin upwards and her eyes focused on the large dog demon. Her whole body shook as he looked upon her with investigating eyes. His scars made her sick to her stomach._

" _I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke to her in her own language, which brought little comfort. He let go of her and took a step back. "Little one, it would be pleasing to hear your voice."_

 _Nami looked over to Chiyo and then to Monomaru and her face fell._

" _Go on, then." Chiyo, the bat demon, chided._

" _I don't know what to say." Nami said quietly._

 _Monomaru smiled and the bat demon hissed._

" _What name do you go by?"_

" _Nami, sir." She answered._

" _I think she will be fine." He said, throwing a small sack of currency into the claws of the bat demon. "You can leave now."_

 _The bat demon nodded submissively to the large man and began to motion the other girls away. Nami watched nervously as they disappeared._

" _Come, little one, the Lady will want to see you." He said to her._

 _Her arms shook as she held her sides, almost as if her body would explode. She left a good distance between herself and the large scarred dog demon as she followed him down the hallways of the white palace. The sounds of her feet and her breathing echoed in the hallway. They came to a large room and she lifted her head to see a woman. The woman was tall and white, and very lovely. The woman's amber eyes met with hers, but she swiftly averted them._

" _Oh!" The woman said, standing up. Her long kimono dragged across the floor as she walked over to them. "Is this the girl?"_

" _Kneel before the Lady and do not speak unless she asks you to." Monomaru continued to speak to her in her native tongue._

 _Nami let herself slide onto her knees, her body still trembling. She was tiny compared to these large demons and could easily be destroyed by either of them. She worried about the intentions of these predators. The desire not to be harmed or devoured filled her soul. She felt two soft hands lift her face upwards and saw the regal woman looking at her with a smile on her face._

" _She's shaking." The Lady commented, stroking her cheek. "Don't be frightened, little fox."_

 _The Lady looked sympathetic as she turned to Monomaru. "I don't know about this. What if he does not take to her?"_

" _It was your idea, my love." He said, kissing his ladies nose gently._

" _Still, I am having second thoughts." She sighed._

" _If Sesshomaru is anything like his Father, he will take to her just fine." Monomaru said, letting out a big laugh._

 _The Lady glared at Monomaru angrily._

"What did he mean?" Nami asked Sesshomaru as she finished speaking.

Sesshomaru sighed. "My father was a lustful spirit in no subtle way. He was married to my Mother, but shared his bed with many other women. That is until he met Izayoi."

"Izayoi, my Lord?" Nami asked.

There was a big pause between the two before Sesshomaru turned to Nami. "I think it is important for you to know that I have a mate… and that she is human. Like my father before me, I have fallen for a mortal woman."

"That is surprising." Nami said, not sure how to respond to this. "Why is she not here?"

"I cannot say what it is she seeks to find out there. But she will not return until she does. But I cannot allow her to remain unaware of this new development."

"You must go to her, then, Lord Sesshomaru."

"I promised to wait. But I feel this is a promise I cannot keep. There is too much at stake for her."

"Do you think she will leave you?" Nami asked innocently. "Is that why you hesitate?"

Sesshomaru thought about this. Her words, though harsh, were true. He already didn't deserve all the forgiveness Rin gave him regarding their past. To expect any more from her was hard for him to do. He brushed past the fox demon without saying anything.

Nami watched as he disappeared down the hall.

…..

It was midnight, and the sounds of clanking could be heard. In a small cave in the forest, a man paced back and forth nervously. Pots lie around him, filled with all sorts of different colored liquids. He poured a small jar of blue liquid into a big bowl. The old man's skin was a green color and scaly, making it obvious that he was no human. His ears were but small holes on each side of his head.

" _She's coming, I can sense her." He thought. "Her visits become more frequent. I fear she will never leave me alone."_

He quickly picked up another small jar, smelling it.

" _If she continues to come, I will have to move. Perhaps seek refuge in the West."_

"Thinking about me, Goro?" He heard from the entrance of his home, making him drop his jar. He turned sharply to face the very woman he feared.

Her long black hair and luxurious kimono swayed as she walked into the cave. She smiled, her fangs curled over her rouge lips. The man bowed lowly to the woman, obviously out of fear.

"Lady Gina. I was not expecting you." He stammered, remaining low.

"Oh, dear. Am I interrupting something?" She said teasingly, bringing her hand to her cheek.

"Never, my Lady, it is always a pleasure to see you." He insisted.

"Good." She said with a smirk, her nose in the air. "I would become most irate if my subjects didn't want to see me."

"How may I assist you, my Lady?" He said to change the subject.

"Don't be silly, snake demon. You know why I'm here." She said, her hands sliding down her hips.

"Again, my Lady?" The man asked.

"I'll be taking a few jars of it so I don't have to keep coming back every time it happens."

"I should advise you against taking too much, my Lady."

"Why?" Her face turned into a scowl.

"It is dangerous, my Lady. Taking too much could poison you. Your father would have my neck should he find out I've been supplying it to you."

"He has nothing to do with this. It's our little secret, remember? Just give it to me."

"Of course, my Lady. It is not my place to deny you. I am merely trying to suggest you do not use it to avoid childbearing. This stuff is not for ladies of noble blood. The only women who use it are prostitutes and comfort girls."

Gina's eyes flared as she took a few big steps toward the snake demon, who cowered in response. Her fangs curled into a snarl. "What are you trying to say about me, snake? Choose your words wisely."

"Nothing, my Lady, I meant nothing by it. Please." Goro fell onto his knees submissively before her.

"I'm in charge, now. Not my Father." She said, lifting her leg and placing her sandaled foot on top of his shoulder. "So when I say I want something, you get it." Her leg pushed down on him before releasing him.

The snake demon scrambled up and quickly sifted through the jars he had lying about. He picked up two purple colored bottles and offered them to her.

"Smart man." She smirked as she plucked them out of his hands. "You really shouldn't cower like that, you make me seem like a monster."

Gina tucked the jars away and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. "You've served my family well for a very long time. Let's keep it that way."

…

The Western Lady walked slowly across the white floors of her palace, her long kimono dragging behind her. She stopped on her balcony and looked outside into the blue sky and closed her eyes. She breathed in the fresh morning air that surrounded her. She smelled the air and found a very faint hint of Monomaru's scent in the air.

"My Lady?" She heard her servant calling her from far behind.

She turned to look at the raccoon demon, her face unreadable. "He is returning. I wish to greet him alone."

The Lady stood there silently as the door down the hall closed, leaving her alone. For several minutes, she remained silent as the wind blew gently in her face. It was picking up faster by the moment as she could smell him closing in. When the large white dog demon approached the palace, she opened her eyes. When she did, she saw the faint teeth marks on his leg. The large white demon hung above her balcony, just looking at her as she studied him in this form. She had seen him like this many times before, but she really paid attention to the details of his fur when she saw that he had been bitten.

"You've been bitten by another." She stated, looking into his large eyes. "Why have you been gone all this time? Who did this?"

"Do not act ignorant. You know who it was." His voice was deep and booming, causing a small vibration.

There was a flash of light and there he stood before her, with very little space in between. She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes.

"Sesshomaru.." She growled before she felt her lover's hands grasping her face as he looked into her eyes.

"Your son has disgraced my Hana and now she is going to have a child." He said, his large fangs grinding in his mouth. "If you knew about this, tell me now."

The Lady almost dropped at his words but she kept her composure. "I did not."

His face became more intense as he tried to read her still face. A face you could hardly read any emotions from. The same face she gave to her son. He finally let go of her, turning away.

"Where are they?" She asked.

"Hana is back in the Eastern estate with Gina. I don't know or care where he went. The coward is refusing to correct his mistakes. The alliance between the East and the West is hanging by a string. It will soon be broken and he would have it that way."

"Then we must try to preserve it, not fight one another. Surely, we can come to an understanding and make some arrangement."

"He is no longer welcome. I will no longer associate myself with Sesshomaru unless he decides to do what is right. I have had too much patience with that one."

"He's never going to do that. Sesshomaru will not be forced to do anything. You must know this by now." She shook her head.

"Then I cannot allow him to step into my daughters territory.. Or here for that matter."

"My love.." She said, placing her arm around his waist. "Do not be so rash."

"I have every right to be. Do I not?" He gestured angrily.

Her pale delicate hands reached out for his face. She pulled him into her gently, burying her face in his neck as he reluctantly placed his arms around her.

"I am sorry that it has come to this. You are going to have to decide what you truly want. I promised you forever and I meant it." He said.

She pulled back to look into his eyes. "How dare you give me an ultimatum."

Monomaru took her arms into his hands, pulling her back into him. His voice was harsh. "You let that cousin of mine leave you behind for a mortal woman and even now, you defend him. It was cruel what he did to you. Don't let your son dishonor you as InuTaisho did."

Her eyes went red and a huge pulse ran through her body, causing him to release her and take a step back. Monomaru had never seen her like this before. Her angry voice made the walls shake as it echoed throughout the castle. "You will not speak of him! You don't get to say his name!"

He came forward again, wrapping his arm around her waist. She growled angrily, struggling to get out of his grasp. She was more powerful than she let on with her laid back disposition, but due to his large size she couldn't free herself. "Release me!" She shouted, pushing at him with her arms.

"Do not be foolish, my love. I am only trying to help you. I said I would take care of you and I intend to do just that. But you must hear what I have to say. You must come to face the truths you have been avoiding." Monomaru said as he held onto her, not letting go neven as his arms felt like they were being pryed apart by her strong protests.

"Unhand me!" She growled in anger.

"Do not spurn my affections. Let me love you as you deserve to be."

She could feel her body becoming weaker with his words. She batted at him and he stood there taking her abuse. In her struggle, her perfectly pinned up hair had loosened and her long silver locks fell around them. After a few minutes of this she stopped and their eyes met again.

"You have no shame." She said in a small voice.

"There is no shame in protecting the woman I love from those who seek to destroy her honor."

"Give me one chance to fix things." She told him.

Monomaru looked upon his lover and saw that her tough disposition had been worn down. He looked at her delicate white skin and her silver waves hanging around them messily. Filled with desire, he slipped his large hands into the top of her kimono and pulled it down, exposing her breasts. Her skin was flawless and pale, except for the faded mark on her right shoulder from her late husband. He had bitten into her skin on the night of their union, as was customary.

"Do whatever you must to keep the alliance alive and well. I will do the same. No more confrontations between our kind as long as I can help it." He said, slipping his hands further down on her body. Her entire kimono fell to the ground. "Just let me have you… forever."

Her body ran hot at his touch. She was still angry with him, but could not deny her feelings. In his absence, she had burned with the desire to feel his body on hers. She had been so lonely for so long, she could not send him away now. She pulled him into her, letting their lips meet.

"Take me now before I change my mind." She demanded breathily.

Wasting no time, he dropped his robes and scooped her up, pinning her up against one of the large stone pillars. He entered her and she let out an enthusiastic shout as they became entwined together. The force of their intense motion caused the whole palace to shake slightly. It sounded like a storm as the thuds resounded. She screamed in pleasure and snapped at him lustfully as he let his claws run up her back. When his hands found their way up to the nape of her neck, he gently turned her head to the side, exposing her left shoulder.

"If you reject me now, we are both doomed to eternal loneliness." He purred into her ear. "Do not send me away. Allow me to make this official."

Her eyes were glossed over amidst her pleasure. She hadn't allowed him to leave his mark on her in fear of the connotations behind it. She did not want to forsake InuTaisho by letting another dog demon mark her. But on the other hand, he had left her and betrayed their marriage. There was also the fact that he was deceased and would never again grace her with his presence. She thought about it, her heart wrenching. Amber eyes became somber as she nodded her head, consenting to him.

Monomaru growled in pleasure at her response. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around her neck and leaned in. Opening his mouth, he bit down carefully but harshly into her left shoulder. She moaned loudly, her skin stinging with pain as he locked onto her. Blood trickled down her body as he continued to push in and out of her. After a couple moments, his teeth unhooked from her shoulder, and he licked his lips before leaning in to claim hers.

….

"My Lord, the girl is gone." A voice called from the other side of the closed door.

"What do you mean? How?" He groaned, rising slowly from his slumber.

"I don't know, my Lord. We fastened the door shut last night but when we entered this morning the door was open and she was gone."

Akio sighed in frustration before pulling himself out of bed.

It was a couple days away that the Lord of the castle would go and try to find his estranged wife. Akio stood in his room, across from his mirror. He could barely look into it nowadays. It only made him how ugly he had become. It wasn't only the missing arm. He knew and saw the transformation taking place. He had always held onto his sanity on a very loose string. Although he had been a good man, it was only when things went exactly as he wanted to. What did this mean about him? Was he a good man under this angry beast? Or had the good man merely been a mask? He caught a glimpse of himself and growled before heading out.

When he entered the hallway, there were a few servants walking about their daily duties and completely avoiding eye contact with him. He sighed and tapped on one servants shoulder to get his attention. The man flinched and backed away at his touch. He made a short bow.

"What can I do for you, my Lord?" The servant asked meekly.

"Where is Kai?" He inquired.

"Oh." The man said, wincing a bit at the question.

"Oh? If you know of her whereabouts, I demand you let me know."

"Your father has her, my Lord." The man quickly answered, not wanting Akio to lose his temper.

"What would he want with her?" Akio raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, my Lord." The man said, bowing and removing himself as hastily as he could.

Akio rolled his eyes and walked in the direction of his fathers chambers.

On the way, he passed the room that was for Ami and her child. In his selfishness, he had chosen not to have them sleeping in his chambers. When he saw her, she looked very pale and worn out. She nursed the child and rocked back and forth to soothe him. Adjusting to having a child was not easy, especially for the young mother.

When he came to his fathers chambers he saw that the door was closed. Now Akio's mother hadn't shared his father's chambers in ages. And although he had every right to invite other women into his chamber, he never let even a servant girl in unless the door was open. He had always speculated that it was to let his mother know that he was faithful to her. But naturally, she was never moved. How such an upstanding guy got caught up with a cold woman like her, he would never know.

Without even knocking, he slid the door open. His father was sitting there cross legged and quiet, with his eyes closed. In his lap there was a blanket draped over him with something underneath it. It was large for his father's lap, but still relatively small. His father did not look at him, he merely placed his hand on top of the blanket gently.

"What are you doing, Father?" Akio demanded to know.

"Don't act like you care what I do, Akio."

The blanket moved a little bit and the old man weakly pulled what was in it closer to him. Akio took a step closer and looked down into his fathers old thin arms. He could see silky black hair, and a pale face inside. The face was Kai's, and she was passed out.

"Why do you have this servant girl in your chambers?" Akio asked confusedly.

"Kai. Her name is Kai. I ordered to have her removed from the watch of those wild dogs you call your men. If I had known what they were doing sooner, I wouldn't have allowed even a minute of it." His father scolded.

"You have officially lost it, old man."

"No, Akio, you have. I don't even know you anymore. My son would never have called for a child to be tortured. I will not allow you to harm her anymore."

"Kai is no child. She is a traitor." He defended himself.

"I don't want to hear it. How could you have allowed this? Kai has been like a little sister to you."

"She has been nothing of the sort. We should have tossed her out when she was orphaned." He retorted cruelly.

"I can't believe you could say this. Not after all these years."

 _It was a nice summer day and Akio was out in the fields training by himself. He was a young man of 19 at this point, and just starting to take over responsibilities in his father's estate. He struck a bamboo dummy with his sword again and again. He was caught off guard when he could hear a small voice behind him. He stopped and turned and saw Kai. The little girl who lost her mother, who had been a servant in the castle. She was no more than 6, and could often be seen playing around the castle or sitting in Lord Eito's lap like a little pet. Her wavy black hair stuck to her face messily and her big doe eyes lingered on Akio. There was no denying that she was a cute child. He turned back to the dummy and positioned himself._

" _You know you are not supposed to be out here during training, little girl." He said before striking the dummy again. "You could get hurt."_

" _I know, Master Akio." She nodded her head._

 _He sighed and turned to the girl. "Do you think my father's rules are optional, Kai?"_

" _No, sir." Her little voice squeaked._

 _He expected her to run off, but she continued to stand there looking at him, unphased. He began to chuckle at the girls oblivious nature._

" _What keeps you here, then?" He asked amusedly._

 _The little girl shrugged and he took another distracted swing._

" _I just wanted to see you is all." She said sweetly._

 _He sighed, knowing he would not be able to concentrate with the little brat watching him. He put his sword away in his sheath and walked up to her, scooping her up off her feet with his arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her back to the castle._

"I will not hear anymore. This is my child, even if I have not fathered her. I should have officiated it when I had the chance, but your mother would not allow that. I deserve to have one child who makes me happy." The calm soothing voice of the old man had become strained with grief.

This was a great blow to Akio. He stood there pensively, watching as his father held onto the unconscious girl.

Guilt began to take place as he recounted the events of the past day. The girl had been like a stone, unmoved throughout her horrible treatment. Though she was in great misery, the girl didn't give in to his demands. No matter what was done, she refused to ask him for forgiveness for running away. Her angry eyes looked straight into his until she passed out from exhaustion.

His forehead was hot as he became angry at his father for favoring the young girl. He scoffed at his father, as if he didn't care. Even though it was very clear that he did. He waved his hand dismissively, and walked out of the room.

"Enjoy your time with her. She is not going to be here much longer."

He slid Eito's chamber door closed before the old man could make his son elaborate.

…..

"Why have you not told me of Lord Sesshomaru's human lover?"

Nami sat cross-legged across from Jaken as he sifted through scrolls. She ran her fingers through her wavy red hair as she watched him.

"It was not my place to speak to you of her." The toad responded.

"Do you know her well, Jaken?" She continued to inquire about Rin.

"Afraid so. She has been in our lives for a long time. Ever since she was a girl."

"Hm." She thought about this. "I still think it is strange. Though intriguing."

"Yes, but it is what Lord Sesshomaru wants. And he usually gets what he wants regardless of how everyone else feels." Jaken sighed.

"He says he is going to her. If you know her so well, you know what she will do."

"I have no clue what Rin will do when she finds out. She has a forgiving heart, but we will see."

Just then, a strong knock could be heard coming from up the hall. Jaken looked at Nami and she looked back at him before rising to her feet. Without saying anything else, she headed for the door. The small tip taps of her feet could be heard echoing throughout the castle. When she got to the door, she opened it, straining a little at the weight. When she saw who was at the door she immediately bowed her head.

"Welcome, my Lady." Nami's little voice spoke.

Sesshomaru's Mother entered slowly, her eyes watching the young girl carefully. The aristocratic woman was dressed in the most elegant kimono the girl had ever seen. Her long silver locks were covered by a shawl of white silk that wrapped from the top of her head around her shoulders. In her hands, there was something wrapped in blue fabric. Her face was serious and almost sullen. The woman sniffed the air, looking the young vixen over. Her amber eyes burned into the girl.

"Where is my son?" She inquired.

"Allow me to find-" Nami began.

"Don't speak. Just get him." She interrupted the girl before sniffing the air. "Vixen, I must say I am disappointed. I thought you were up to the task but..my son hasn't taken to you at all."

Nami reacted quicker than she could think. "That is not true."

The dog demoness raised her eyebrow. "You dare to correct me? Don't act so naïve, girl. You know why you were brought here. You have failed to serve him."

"Lord Sesshomaru does not want this from me. Nor do I want to give it."

The Lady was taken aback by the girl's boldness. "Nobody talks to me like this."

Nami cheeks turned red at her words. She heard Sesshomaru's voice come from the top of the stairs.

"Are you angry that I did not conform to your plans, Mother?"

She looked up the stairs at her son, who was walking down the steps. Eyeing him intensely, she did not answer him at all. Nami took a couple steps away from the Lady. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he stood across from his Mother. Her eyes met with his and they locked together for a long time before either of them spoke.

"This girl disrespected me. Are you going to allow that?" She said, her petite nose in the air.

"What would you like me to do, Mother? It was your decision to bring a young vixen to me in the hopes that I would forget about Rin. I am not my Father. I am able to resist temptation."

"According to the news I received, you are not…You shame me. Do you do these things to anger me?" She hissed.

"Nami, I wish to be alone with my Mother." He said.

The girl nodded and took off, not wanting to stick around anyways. She could tell that the Lady was in rare form. She had always seen her as a kindly woman, but now she seemed angry, as if she might leap out to kill someone. And she most certainly didn't want that person to be her.

"Sesshomaru.. You are making a big mistake." She said. "To put a human woman above Hana. Really. You know this will not bode well with the others."

"I do not care about the others."

"Do not say that, my son. You know you do."

"Not as much as I care for Rin."

"I hope I have raised you to be as strong as you'll need to be if you go through with this." She said. "I hoped you would have changed your mind and decided to live the life you were meant for."

Sesshomaru took another step forward, face to face with his Mother. Her eyes never leaving his, she didn't flinch when he lifted his hands. He gently pulled the shawl off of her head and around her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. She growled as he slipped his finger into her kimono, yanking it off her shoulder to look at her bare shoulder, where the new mark was. It was scabbed and ugly. She pulled away from him, dropping the blue cloth in her hands.

"How dare you undress your mother!" She shouted at him, pulling her kimono back over her shoulder. "Have you gone mad?"

"No more mad than you have become, allowing that abomination to mark you. You are in no position to be pointing fingers at me. Do you not think of Father?"

"I always have and I always will. But I cannot ignore the truth any longer. Your father was sick, Sesshomaru. And so are you." She said aloud.

"Do not insult me, Mother. I grow tired of your guilt trips."

"No need to worry about me anymore. I'm not coming back." She said breathily, looking to the door.

There was a short silence as Sesshomaru glared at her. "So you have decided to be rid of me. All for him."

"I am not choosing between you and him. I am letting you know that I cannot continue to support your choice to be with that human woman. She is not part of our world, and I cannot accept her while Hana carries that child."

"I will not be talked into making my bed with that woman."

She extended her hand to meet his face, and gently traced a finger down his cheek. "I know you won't."

Without saying anything else, she turned and began to walk towards the door. She stopped at the door for a moment, leaning her hand against it. Walking out on her only son proved harder than she had initially thought.

The Lady took a deep breath and opened the door, taking her leave.

Sesshomaru's teeth grinded angrily. He was upset that his Mother had taken her lovers side instead of his. He felt entitled to her, and had never considered that she would walk out on him. He scooped up the white shawl and lifted it up to his nose, taking in her sweet scent. He sighed before lifting the blue fabric. It wasn't very heavy but there was something substantial in it. Sesshomaru slowly began to unravel it, the blue fabric becoming long and curled.

He stopped when he uncovered what was inside. It was a small bamboo creature. It took the shape of a horse and was a bit shredded, as if it had been shaved with razors. He held the small toy in one of his hands, staring at it. He did recognize it. It had been his a few hundred years ago when he was an infant. Why had his Mother kept it? And why was she giving it to him? He clenched it in his hand angrily, and it broke in half. He tossed the remains to the floor.

"She is feeling sentimental, is she?" He said to himself, refusing to admit how he really felt. His Mother was the only person aside from Rin who could make him feel at peace, and she had just walked out on him.

"My lord, what in the world is going on?" Jaken's voiced screeched as he waddled into the room.

"Word is getting around. We will have to lock down the castle. I have to find Rin. She may be in danger."

"Allow me to join you, Lord Sesshomaru! It's been far too long." Jaken pleaded.

Sesshomaru thought for a moment. "Very well. Be prepared."

….

It had been a couple days before Kohaku and Rin reached their destination. It was on a drab and rainy day they found the mountain. It was not a sight for sore eyes. All the nature that had surrounded and lived on this mountain was long gone. There were no animals, and no birds flew ahead. Kohaku was on the back of Kirara and Rin was jumping off the back of Ah Un when they had reached the top. She let out a sigh when she touched the ground and wiped her forehead.

"I think we are in the wrong place." Kohaku said, not bothering to get down from the cat demon. "There aren't any signs of people living here at all."

"But this must be it." Rin insisted. "It's precisely where the old woman told me it would be."

Kohaku crossed his arms, confident that no one was here and that he had been right all along.

"That old crook was fooling you. She wanted to make sure you were well far away from her so by the time you returned, she would be long gone. I warned you about that theif, didn't I?" He scolded.

"Yes, you haven't stopped talking about it since we left that market." Rin said, climbing to the top of a rock to better see out.

"Well, are you satisfied then?" He continued.

Rin looked up and down and around and did not see any traces of anyone. She sighed before climbing down, ready to let Kohaku gloat about being right all along. When her foot touched the floor, she felt a presence behind her.

"Rin!" She could hear Kohaku shout.

Rin turned around quickly to see a woman with an arrow drawn no more than a few feet away from her. The woman looked to be in her late 20's, and had a thin and sullen face. Her kimono was black and blue and her hair was a faded black. She looked as if she didn't see much sunlight. She had her bow and arrow focused on Rin. Rin gasped and reached for her sword but then stopped dead to look back at the woman.

"Don't move!" The woman warned. "I will shoot. That goes for you as well." She looked to Kohaku quickly. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Don't shoot. I am here looking for a priest."

"A priest by what name?"

Rin thought about it. _"Name? Name.. ugh, what name? You never asked for a name, Rin. Stupid."_

"We don't know the name of the priest who resides here. But I can assure you we are not here to fight." Kohaku said aloud.

The woman slowly started to lower her arrow. "Follow me if you tell the truth. Turn back if you are hostile. Heed these words, for they may be your last. And leave these demons behind. The inside of the mountain is not fit for demons. They cannot pass."

Rin nodded, relieved that she wasn't about to be shot between the eyes. "Thank you. I apologize if we alarmed you."

Kohaku jumped off Kirara and to Rin's side as she began following the woman.

"We don't get many visitors." Was all she replied.

"Let's just go." Kohaku whispered into Rin's ear. "I don't feel right about this."

"Shhh." Rin whispered. "You can leave if that's what you want."

Kohaku sighed, not wanting to abandon Rin in a barren place with some strange woman. He stroked his beard nervously as he followed the women. The woman turned to look back at them, but quickly turned back.

"What are your names?" She asked.

"I am Rin, and this is Kohaku. What may we address you by?" Rin replied politely.

"My name is Mina." She said while they approached an opening in the mountainside. "Things will get dark now."

As the woman Mina entered the opening, she grabbed a lit torch that had been waiting inside. Kohaku thought there was something off about this woman, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. There were stone steps leading them down into a hall.

"So dreary. What is this place?" Kohaku spoke.

"This is the Kojin temple and my home." Mina responded.

Rin and Kohaku could hear music being played from a distance. The hall ended and there was a doorway with a blind, closing the room off from the hall. The music was clearly coming from the room. Mina turned to both Rin and Kohaku and looked them in the eyes.

"I will go in alone first." Was all she said before moving the blinds aside and entering the room. The music stopped abruptly.

Kohaku gave Rin a concerned look before whispering again. "This is not good, Rin. Does none of this alarm you?"

"Of course it does. But I've learned not to be deceived by appearances. If she meant to harm us, she would have done so already." She whispered back before leaning in closer to the blinds to hear the voices inside the room.

"Master Kojin, there are strangers who have come to the mountain to look for you."

"Guests? We haven't had guests in a couple years. I am hardly presentable." A deep male voice spoke.

"I apologize. I will send them away." Mina said.

"No, no, Mina. That would not be very hospitable. Let them in." The voice replied with a small chuckle. The music began again, starting from where it left off.

There were a few footsteps and Rin backed away from the blinds. When they opened, Mina was standing there.

"Master Kojin will see you." She said, waiting for them both to enter.

There was a lit room past the door that was quite grand. The entrance had been quite the disguise, because the room in front of Rin was lined with pots and scrolls. There was a pond to the left of the room and in the center there was a large platform. A man sat atop, eyes closed and cross legged. He strummed on a samisen gently, creating a neat little tune. Rin blinked.

This man did not appear to be old like the woman had suggested. He was thin and dark, though he had the same faded black hair as Mina tied up on the top of his head. His beard was black and very long, reaching all the way to his feet. His black robed were loosely tied around him. Rin figured he must be in his late 30's.

"Don't be shy, my friends. Please enter. I am Kojin, the priest of this temple." He said, opening his small brown eyes. He placed his instrument down and looked up at his visitors.

"Thank you for seeing us." Rin said, nodding her head politely. "I am.."

"Rin.. " The man said looking to the two people in his presence, uncrossing his legs and landing off of the platform.

"Yes…" Rin said, nervously taking a step forward.

Mina walked past Kohaku and Rin to Kojin's side as he stroked his long beard, taking a good gander at Rin.

"Why do you look at me the way you do?" Kojin asked curiously.

"I'm sorry. I was told you were an old man. I thought for a moment I might have the wrong person." Rin said lightheartedly.

"Who told you this?"

"The old woman that sent me in your direction."

Mina looked at Kojin and he glanced in her direction as well.

"Rin, what did this woman tell you?" He inquired.

"That you knew the secret to immortality."

Kohaku turned to Rin. This had been the purpose of her journey. He had considered many things but he hadn't considered this. His teeth clenched inside his mouth. He regretted following her to this place, without knowing precisely why they were heading there. He lifted his hands to his face in dismay.

" _Now I see why she kept it from me. She did not want me to try to dissuade her. Rin.."_

Mina pulled up her arrow again, pointing it in the direction of Rin and Kohaku, gaining their attention yet again.

"You should not know this." She said aloud before feeling the hand of Kojin gently over her arrow, pointing it downward.

"Mina, please. Steady your arrows. I do not want to dispose of our new friends. They are not like the others."

The woman's eyes were wild. "But they know too much. They cannot be trusted."

Kohaku drew his sword but Rin stood, watching and waiting as Kojin placed his hand on Mina's face, stroking it gently.

"I will not allow them to harm either of us. Lay down your weapon." He said in a soothing voice.

She dropped her instruments and looked away. Kojin turned to Kohaku and Rin calmly.

"Do not fear us, friends. You will have to forgive Mina, she is not prone to trusting others as you've witnessed."

Kohaku did not sheath his sword. He held it steadily, ready to strike.

"You both have already died. I can see it in your souls. Children taken too soon. And yet you stand in front of me today.. grown into adulthood." Kojin's voice was soft as it echoed off the walls.

"Rin, let's go. This man is toying with us." Kohaku said angrily, pulling Rin behind him.

"The both of you are free to go if that is your desire." Kojin said.

Kohaku immediately turned to go when he realized Rin was not coming with him. He looked back at her, her face was serious.

"I'm staying, Kohaku. It's okay. I'll be okay." She said softly.

"Rin, don't be stubborn. I told you I would be there for you. Come with me." He looked at her pleadingly.

"No, Kohaku. I have to do this. If you want to wait for me, you can. But I will not blame you if you go."

Kohaku shook his head in frustration before turning his back. Rin watched him walk away and disappear past the door. He found himself in the dark hallway of the temple without any light source. But he was too frustrated to even notice. He walked straight until he saw a dash of light at the exit.

" _I told you I would be there for you. Why won't you allow me to help you?"_

Rin felt a twinge of sadness as she heard him disappear down the hall. The strange priests voice pulled her out of it as she felt him drawing closer.

"Not everyone can handle well the secrets that lie here in this mountain. But you can."

Rin's eyes met his and she studied him. "I want to know the secret."

"Of course you do. Many have come before you wanting the same exact thing. But very few have what it takes to go forward and live."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously.

"There are very few that possess this gift."

Rin glared curiously. "How old are you?"

Kojin laughed and stroked his long beard. "I believe the last time I counted, I had come to the conclusion that I've seen over 300 years on this earth."

Rin's heart dropped as he continued to speak.

"I was relieved when Mina joined me 100 years ago. I was becoming desperately lonely. So many years by yourself is very dull."

Rin was shocked by the people before her. Although she worried that they were the only ones. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"But why must you be alone? Surely you can mingle with normal people."

He lifted an eyebrow and nodded his head. "For decades I left myself grow attached to morals. You lose some, and others take notice to your impenetrable age and turn on you. It is easier to be alone."

Rin felt bad for the lonesome man. Surely, she would not have this problem.

"Tell me more. Tell me your story. Why is it you live like this?"

"Well, a long time ago when I was a young man I was training to be a priest. The priest I was working under was killed by another one of his pupils. He was an old man, and she was the eldest and most accomplished of us. I had only been there for a few years along with another young man. She had never held back about her disgust regarding the old priest taking on the task of training us. Perhaps he knew that she had a selfish desire to take over his grand temple and his station, and that is why he decided to train a couple boys so he would not have to hand over his job to someone who he felt was in it for the wrong reasons. I believe he wanted us to take over for him. Little did he know, she would never allow this to happen. I was only 11 years old when I woke up to the shouts of the old priest. When both me and the other young man made our way to his chambers, he was already gone and the young woman stood above him. She had hit him with a great poison in his sleep and he had woken. She was bleeding, and so it was obvious he had fought her off for the last few moments." He took a deep breath, looking to the wall.

"We worked together to try and subdue her, but she was much too older and experienced. She locked us away in a room, and came back with a strange woman."

He stopped and scratched his beard somberly. "She could have killed us, but instead she made it so neither of us could ever finish our training and then cast us out. Our purity had been destroyed, and so any powers we possessed had been taken from us. She wanted to make sure that neither of us would ever come back to avenge our old Master. We were now normal young men and would live accordingly. We traveled together, picking up odd jobs and shelter wherever we could. But a few years in, we were separated when my friend took a liking to a village girl. I traveled on and lived as a nomad for many years until I came upon a temple that caught my eye. Inside, I would meet a man who would help me achieve what I had started." He coughed, and placed a hand on Rin's shoulders. "Purity is not the only factor that gives us power. I found great strength with this new teacher. He taught me how to regain my lost powers. I emerged from my training stronger than ever. But that was so long ago now. "

Rin took a deep breath. "How is this achieved?"

"We will show you, but you must know that there is no turning back once you go to see him."

"See who, exactly?"

"In this temple we serve only one. In order to sustain this life you hold dear you must first go to him. The king of the afterlife is a fair spirit. He will decide if you are worthy of this gift. If he finds that you are not, you cannot return."

It was all becoming very clear to Rin now. Kojin was a dark priest and a servant of Death. She felt her arms shaking as she realized where her decision had taken her. She was frightened, but she could not deny her relief to have found a way to be with Sesshomaru. The priest picked up on Rin's hesitance and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It is your decision alone whether or not you want to take this path." He said.

Rin frowned. "This is all happening so quickly. I need a moment to think."

Kojin smiled warmly. "I am glad to see you are not blindly jumping into this. Stay the night. Mina will try to be hospitable." He said playfully, looking over to the unamused woman who's eyes were still fixed on her bow.

Rin nodded. "Thank you. But I will stay the night outside, on the top of the mountain. I think there is something I need to take care of."

"AH, the young man." He said, nodding. "Take your time, and choose wisely."

Kojin motioned to Mina. "Mina, will you make sure that Rin knows the way?"

The woman nodded and grabbed up her weapons, tossing them behind her securely. She hastily walked by Rin, bumping into her. Rin sighed at the woman's rudeness but followed silently as Mina led her out of the room.

…...

Kohaku leaned against a resting Ah Un, looking up at the grey sky. Kirara was curled up in his lap and sleeping. He sighed nervously, unable to free himself of worry. He feared for Rin's safety. Nervous that she was being taken for a fool, he cursed himself for leaving.

"You coward, what if she is in trouble?" He chided himself, fighting the urge to march back in there. "No, no. She can handle herself. All the training we've done together. I must trust her to be able to look after herself. Stop being so protective of her."

He sighed aloud and stood up. "She's so unreasonable."

Ah Un opened his eyes are looked to the sky. He looked to both Kohaku and Kirara and stood up. Kohaku watched as he walked toward the edge of the cliffside and threw his head up to the sky. The dragon let out a sound that made Kohaku cover his ears.

"What's going on?" He shouted to Ah Un, but the dragon responded by doing it again.

Kohaku covered his ears, waiting for him to stop. When the dragon turned away from the cliff, Kohaku gritted his teeth. Kirara transformed, and he knew that something wasn't right. He put his hand on his belt to be ready to grab his weapon. The dragon looked to him and then to Kirara again.

At first there was silence, but then a wind began to pick up. Within a couple minutes, there was a huge gust of wind surrounding the area. _"A demon approaches.."_ Kohaku whipped out his sword and remained focused for whatever might appear. He groaned angrily. _"This isn't what I need right now."_

"Kirara, be alert!" He shouted as he focused on the sky. A small beam of light traveled across the sky and he readied himself, his battle instincts beginning to kick in.

The light grew and then faded. Kohaku froze when he saw a man that he had not seen in a very long time.

" _Sesshomaru, what is he doing here?"_

The dog demon surveyed the area with his amber eyes. There was Ah Un, as he expected to see him. There was a cat demon by his dragon, looking straight at him. And then there was a large human man, tan and bearded holding a sword. He looked around again and did not see the one he was looking for. He could smell her, but only faintly. _"Rin.."_

Sesshomaru felt a panic rise in him. What had this strange man done with Rin? There were so many things running through his mind, he assumed the worst. He looked to the man and growled, his eyes turned red. "What have you done?"

"Sess-" Kohaku went to say before he was flung back by a set of claws. The arm of his clothing was ripped, sparing his skin from the poisoned claws of the dog demon. Kohaku, in a need to save his skin, rushed to his own defense. He rolled to the side and stood, avoiding another blind attack of rage from Sesshomaru.

" _He doesn't recognize me. This isn't good."_ Kohaku thought before rushing to his feet. Another set of claws came down and he swung his sword. Sesshomaru's hand caught the sword and he squeezed it in an attempt to break it. When it didn't break, he felt a rush of blood going down his arm. Sesshomaru didn't even feel himself being injured as he squeezed harder on the piecing sword, pushing against the human man he assumed to be Rin's killer. Kohaku was not only a grown man now, he was a demon slayer and portrayed great strength. Kirara lunged toward Sesshomaru to grab him off of Kohaku but was pushed away by the feet of the great demon.

"Sesshomaru!" Kohaku shouted, looking directly into the demon's red gleaming eyes. "Snap out of it!"

Sesshomaru's snarl weakened a bit before finally pushing the man backwards and ripping his poisoned whip from his side.

"Choose your words wisely, human, for they will be your last." He said.

"I will not fight you, Sesshomaru. The years have no doubt changed me, but you still look as you did when I first met you."

Sesshomaru's eyes faded and resumed to their usual amber color. He studied the man from a distance, before smelling the air again. When he realized who was in front of him, he took a step back.

"That boy." He said aloud, remembering his hand grasping the thin body of a young man hanging from his throat. The eyes were lifeless, and unphased by the potential of being choked into darkness. "Kohaku."

In that moment, he knew that Rin must still be alive and withdrew his weapon. Kohaku, relieved, slumped and sighed. It had taken all of his energy to hold off Sesshomaru's attack. He wiped the dust off of his clothing before resting his hands on his knees. He took a deep breath in before standing straight to face Sesshomaru.

"Where is she?" Was all the dog demon said.

"Ha! I knew I should not expect you of all creatures to apologize for almost killing me." Kohaku crossed his large tanned arms.

Sesshomaru's face remained still as he stared at Kohaku. He studied him like a book, gazing over his rough, stubbled physique. He was truly a boulder of a man now. Nothing like the skinny young buck Sesshomaru remembered. He had always suspected the boy had a soft spot for Rin but never imagined he would find them together at any point, which made him uneasy for a moment. But his ego did not allow this thought to go any further.

"Well I'll be damned. I don't think I've ever seen you look this way before. You are worried about me, right? Well, you can take comfort in the fact that Rin wants nothing to do with human men, like me." Kohaku assured him in a condescending manner.

"Don't be silly, human. I never for even a minute considered that she would. Now where is she?"

Kohaku shook his head, an uncomfortable smile on his face. "You're unbelievable. You'll let her kill herself for you, wouldn't you?"

"I grow impatient with you, human. Our history means nothing to me. I will not think twice about killing you."

….

Rin watched the figure of the ageless woman as she walked behind her. Mina was silent and obviously angered by Rin's intrusion here.

"Mina, I do not want to hurt you and neither does Kohaku."

"How can I know this? The sooner you are gone the better. We cannot afford to trust anyone here." Mina responded harshly. "This life is long but fragile."

"So you hide yourselves away in the mountains, then? What kind of life is that?"

Mina glared at Rin as they reached the entrance with the cave. "Think hard about your choices before you return. There is much at stake."

She turned quickly and re-entered the cave without giving Rin a chance to speak.

" _Such a strange woman."_ Rin thought as she made her way over to where she had left Ah Un.

From a distance, she heard a big bang. She heard two voices in the distance and stopped in her tracks when she heard the familiar voice of Sesshomaru. Her heart leaped as she quickly found a boulder nearby to hide behind. She wondered why he was here, and why he was speaking with Kohaku. Her hand over her heart, she composed herself before peaking around the boulder.

"..Where is she?" She looked into his pale face and then to his bleeding hand. Her face wrinkled in concern.

"You're unbelievable. You will let her kill herself for you, wouldn't you?" Her eyes moved to Kohaku, who looked exhausted.

She bit her lip, feeling guilty for Kohaku's attitude. He had no idea that Sesshomaru didn't know of her plan. She began to walk out from behind the boulder when she heard such harsh words coming from the man she loved.

"I will not think twice about killing you." He said to Kohaku. She gritted her teeth.

"There is no need for that." She said. "Sesshomaru.."

Sesshomaru turned to her, staring into her face. He hadn't seen her in months, there was a calm brought over him when he heard her voice. She looked angry, but it did not concern him. He knew she was relieved to see him.

Kohaku felt his heart drop to the floor when he saw the two look at each other. It was all true he just had yet to see it. He couldn't stand to see Rin's eyes fixed on this demon. Although Kohaku knew that Sesshomaru would never bring harm to her, he feared where their arrangment would bring her. Surely, there were other demons who would seek to tear them apart. He couldn't stand to think of Rin having to fight off demons she couldn't possibly hope to defeat. Biting his lip, he turned to Kirara. She was waiting for him, seemingly knowing what needed to happen before he did. He mounted the back of the cat demon.

Noticing this, Rin ran to stop him. Sesshomaru remained silent.

"Kohaku. Wait!" She shouted, grabbing his foot.

"Rin.." He said somberly, unable to move away.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you why I wanted to come here." She said, her cheeks flushed red. "I should have been honest. You should not have been made to follow me here. I know how you feel about this." She said, loosening her grip on his foot.

"I forgive you. I, too, do not desire to walk alone. But it seems I have to."

"You don't need to be alone, Kohaku. I am your friend, and going through with this isn't going to change that."

Kohaku seemed pained by her response. His eyes clenched together tightly, he gently kicked Rin's hand off of his foot. As soon as he did, Kirara took a running start and flew into the air.

Sesshomaru slowly made his way to Rin, and stroked her locks.

"A lost soul cannot be saved by anything but itself." He said.

The words made Rin cringe. "You know nothing of lost souls. Do not try to speak of matters you, by your very nature, cannot begin to face yourself. How dare you attack him like that."

"Rin.. I have missed you." He said softly, reaching out for her long locks.

"I know..I've missed you as well." She said, taking a deep breath in before turning to face him.

"I want you to come home." He said. "You are in danger."

"I'm fine." She said, wiping a hair from her face. "I am not done yet."

"Rin.." He said, pausing to make eye contact with her. "I need you to come home."

Rin felt her ears go hot with frustration. Of course she wanted nothing more than to return with Sesshomaru this moment. But she did not take kindly to his approach. He was pulling her back to him, just like Kohaku had said he would. She glared into his eyes and found a certain softness in them she did not see very often.

"You have more to say." She said, patiently waiting for him to explain himself.

"I will stall no further. You must know that there are demons who I have angered. They might seek to destroy you , or worse."

"Sesshomaru.." She breathed in. "Who in the world could cause you such fear?"

"I fear not for myself. It is you who is vulnerable. They wouldn't dare to step into my territory." He said defensively.

Rin took a few steps closer to him, dragging her finger down his face. "Who?"

" _That look" She thought as his face turned. "I have never seen this look before. Is this.. uncertainty? What is this?"_

"What is it?" She asked, her heart starting to rise in her chest tightly.

"It is a demoness." He said, looking into her eyes against his own will. He did not want to see how these words would affect the admiration he still saw in her eyes. As he suspected, she turned away from him. "One of the Eastern Lord's daughters. She is with child."

"And.. this is your doing?" Rin whispered.

"My father's lustful spirit has shown itself in me. Before I took you back to the castle with me, I had made myself comfortable with her and her awful sister. I was trying to convince myself that I was not in love with you. I thought I could make myself content with one of my own. But I could not. That is when I promised myself to you. I have been yours ever since."

Rin's whole body flushed as she took a step away, her long hair hiding her face. Sesshomaru's eyes focused on the sword strapped to her back. It was starting to become dark out, and there was a blue shadow closing in on them.

"I do not expect any forgiveness. Nor do I expect you to come with me. But I will surely never look for love again if it is not with you. Never again will my eyes wander."

"This woman is very important. Why should you reject her if she carries your child?" Rin's voice was small and quiet, with a hint of anger.

"Do you think I would even consider it? I do not love her. Her father holds the child hostage even before they are born. He demands that I make my bed with her to protect their honor. I am under no obligation to do so. He will claim the child for his own if I do not give in to his demand. Just as he has stolen my mother."

"So what will you do?" Rin felt a single tear making its way down her cheek.

"That is why I have come to you. Say the word, and I shall abandon all thoughts of acquiring the child."

"Sesshomaru.." She said, "I could never ask that of you."

"Then what do you ask of me? " His voice, though in its usual monotone sounded almost desperate for a moment. "Say the word and I will relinquish all of my possessions and my station. We could live as we did before all this."

"Don't offer such things. It is not like you. I do forgive you, Sesshomaru. I only ask that you leave me here."

His heart caved in on him at the thought of leaving the mountain without her. At wits end, he reached out to pull her into him. Rin's cheeks burned red as she felt the silk of his robes against her. His strong arms wrapped around her possessively, she breathed out slowly. Sesshomaru wasn't a liar, he would never again try to find someone else if she were to turn him away. She loved him so much she melted at his touch.

"What is it you intend to find in this world that you cannot share with me? Let there be no more secrets between us." He whispered into her ear.

Rin shook violently in his embrace, not wanting to pull away. She pulled her head back to look into his eyes. "There is something I need to do if I am to be with you."

Gently holding the sides of her face, he tilted her back further and looked so deep into her eyes she thought he was looking into her soul. "What do you need that I cannot give you?"

"Sesshomaru.. A single lifetime is not good enough. When I was young, I asked you if I could be with you forever and now I have that chance."

"Do not change for me. I accept you as you are."

"Why should I want to grow old as you retain your youth? Could you honestly watch me become old and wither away before your eyes? Do not lie to make me change my mind."

Sesshomaru became very silent for a moment. He thought about what she was saying. "These things are not achieved through pure means. It is not my desire to lose you."

"You are going to lose me if I do not do this." She said gently, as if to soften the words. "If it is two days from now or fifty years, you will lose me. Allow me to make it so you will never have to feel the pain of loss."

Sesshomaru looked to the sun that was sinking below the horizon. "I already have, when I first left you in the village with the human Lord. I cursed your name to convince myself I did not love you, but all the while I felt loss. I had never expected to see your face ever again after that day."

"Well I am certainly glad that our paths did cross again." She said, her hands finding his sides, embracing them closely.

His face was stoic but she knew better than to trust his expressions. Inside he was restless and uncertain. They held each other for a long while before Sesshomaru spoke again. He grazed her face gently with his finger.

"Still, I cannot leave you here. The others are very dangerous."

Rin grabbed his hand, pulling him in to kiss her lips. She wanted to push away all the things that kept them apart in the moment. She wanted only to take advantage of this moment. It could be the very last time that their bodies would meet.

"Stay, then." She whispered longingly.

Sesshomaru returned her kiss, working his fingers to skillfully cut the strap of her sheath. Her sword fell to the ground amidst the kiss. The force of his body against hers made her stumble backwards, onto her back. He descended upon her, kissing her neck as he positioned himself. Rin pulled up her kimono, blushing feverishly with desire. Sesshomaru rested his hand gently on Rin's neck as he entered her. Her breaths became exaggerated and loud as they moved together rhythmically. The stars came into view and all was right with the world for a while.

Hours later, they laid in the grass next to one another. Rin was exhausted, her day had been so long and trying. But she couldn't help feeling a little anxious about the day that lay ahead of her. She would go to the dark priest and ask him to send her to his Master. She took a deep breath in, focusing on Sesshomaru's eyes. There would be no life if not for him. In all of his faults and mistakes, she knew without a doubt his unrelenting love for her. He held her close, feeling his warmth radiate from his pale body.

" _I hope I am doing the right thing."_


	25. C25: An eternity of Bliss

(Hey guys! Chapter 25 here. Hope everyone had a good holiday. Thanks again for the follows and favs and stuff. I've lost a couple readers over the months, but I'm glad for the people that enjoy my writing as it is. I'd just like to state before everyone reads that I really try to stay true to the way things were around the time this takes place and not trying to have a modern attitude about it. I don't condone abuse or sexual assault obviously. Thanks again. Much love!

KhlallamCedarTrees1912: Thank you so much for the good vibes! I appreciate it.

Lady Taiyou: Thanks! I'm glad you are excited and sorry it takes me awhile to get the chaps up. They are pretty long. )

…..

 _Chapter 25: An Eternity of Bliss_

 _The forest was dim and foggy at this point of the evening, and a small hut laid in the middle of it. A noise escaped from inside, like a small creature was in distress. Heavy breathing and shouts could be heard. Outside the hut, there stood a magnificent beast. Inutaisho, the dog demon Lord of the West stood in front of the door, looking as if he were waiting for something. His long white robes swayed around him gently. He had the mark of lightning on his cheek. Shaking his head, a small worried smile came across his face._

 _He opened the door, and entered. He heard a deep growl and something was thrown in his direction. Inutaisho looked to the left and saw the one he had come for, his cousin, Monomaru. Underneath him was a small and naked fox demoness._

" _You disturb me, little cousin, it must be for a good reason. I fear I should have a quarrel with you if not." Monomaru said, standing up and making himself presentable._

" _You are needed at home, cousin." InuTaisho said._

 _The vixen, who had been quiet, slipped past the two dog demons and ran out the door and into the woods, not looking back._

" _Great, now you've scared her away." His cousin argued with him._

" _I believe she was scared long before I arrived, cousin." InuTaisho said. "Besides, you are to be married tomorrow. I hardly think this is the appropriate time for this. The Southern Lord worries that you will back out of this arrangement."_

" _He worries about the wrong person. It is his daughter that is not happy with this. She is a wild creature, not to be tied down."_

" _Why do you think her father is so eager to give her away?" InuTaisho smiled. "Come, I volunteered to find you and I will not return without you."_

 _Monomaru sighed. "As you wish. She is so beautiful, the young Lady Kya."_

" _And you are so ugly." InuTaisho teased his cousin._

 _Monomaru ran his fingers over his face, where the red scars were paved in his skin. "You jest, but it is true. After our battle with the lizard demons, my face never healed. Their poison proved to be too strong. How could Kya ever love such a hideous being?"  
"Cousin, you worry too much." InuTaisho smiled and gave Monomaru a strong friendly slap on the back. "Let us return." _

Monomaru looked absently outside the walls of the Eastern estate. He thought deeply of his deceased cousin and wife. The memory of them not tainted by years and years of absence. Being so close to his cousin, he too had felt a sense of betrayal when Inutaisho left the Western Lady for a human girl. Kya, his wife, had described in great detail what would become of him if he dared to leave her like that.

" _First, I will cut off that which makes you a man. And then I will rip off your arms and legs. Only then will I cut off your head to end your suffering. And the human woman I would nail to a tree and leave her there to bleed to death." Her voice was smooth but strong._

" _You needn't even worry about such a thing. I am not sick like my cousin. I do not desire humans." He said in return, wrapping his arms around her. "And I would like to see you try to rip my arms off."_

A huge growl brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked to the door of the room. On the other side, his daughter was in labor. It was not wise to be in the same room as a demoness giving birth as they were prone to lashing out. The growling and moaning pierced his ears. It was unbearable to hear his child in such a fuss. But he stayed there calmly, waiting for his grandchild to be born.

Suddenly, he heard someone enter the estate in a hurry. He smelled the air, and knew who it was. When the door opened and Gina entered, he looked stern.

"You have no loyalty to your family. Your sister.."

"Is none of my concern right now. I am out there taking care of duties you left behind in your wish to retire."

Monomaru let out a sigh and nodded. Although he did not believe for a second that his daughter had been gone on any errand of importance. She avoided her sister like the plague as of late. The two, who had always been joined at the hip, seemed further away from each other than ever before. Their usual likenesses became differences. Gina was becoming stronger than her sister both in body and station. Their situation with Sesshomaru had never yielded any results. The Western Lord had no intention of taking Hana to be his bride. This made Monomaru very angry and desperate.

"I've traveled all the way South to speak to Grandfather." Gina said, earning a glare from her Monomaru. He did not like the Lord of the South, who had been his wife's father. He was very old, and attached to his archaic ways. He hoped Gina had not told him about Hana.

Gina turned when she heard a low growl coming from Hana but then turned back to her father. "He is interested in a meeting with you."

"How dare you go behind my back like this. I despise your Grandfather, you know this." He said angrily.

"Please, go to him. I think you will not regret it. He has agreed to help us with our.. little situation. But only if you will meet with him first." Gina said.

Another big grunt came from the room and then the sounds of a tiny, high pitched howl. Gina smiled and went to open the door. The room was quite a mess, the demoness had made a storm of the room in her labor. But sitting there on the floor of the room was Hana, pale and tired, holding an infant. She was only lightly covered by a thin kimono.

"Well done, sister!" Gina laughed.

Hana ignored her sister and looked up as she saw her father coming toward her and the infant. She looked down again at the little baby in her arms, her breathing becoming more relaxed at this point. The baby howled again. She held her newborn child up, offering him to her father. Monomaru leaned down and with one arm scooped the baby up. Hana let out a small smile but was much too tired to display much emotion.

"A boy." said Monomaru, holding the child up. "A large boy, at that."

"Gina, Help me up." Hana requested.

Gina hurried to her sisters side, picking her up to have her sit on the bed. The both of them watched as their father inspected the newborn. The baby was indeed large, with half closed amber eyes and a little tuft of black hair atop it's head. Neither of the women commented on how the baby looked like his father, in fear it might start an argument. He had pale skin and pointy ears. Monomaru nodded proudly.

"The first pureblood in centuries." He said, admiring the infant.

Hana nodded. "Father, it is only fitting that you should be the one to name him."

The baby shrieked again, its eyes opening slightly to look at the man before him. "He will be a champion. He needs the name of a warrior. Therefore, He will be called Junomaru."

Making his way over to Hana, Monomaru placed the infant back into her arms, and placed a kiss on Hana's forehead. "Give him your breast, Hana. I will return soon."

Hana smiled, happy that her father had accepted his grandson into their family. Gina looked upon the baby, and felt a bad feeling rise up in her. A boy was threatening to her station. In no time, he would become a man. She choked back her worry and managed a smile for her sister.

…

 _I fear there isn't much left to hope for. Today, my lord leaves the castle to find that which takes over his soul. Revenge against his absent wife, Rin. I've prayed many times for him to reconsider._

Ami walked through the halls of the castle, taking a break from her needy baby. She had one of the servant girls tend to him while she took a walk around the halls. Her strength had been regained since his birth and she found solace in taking solo walks around the castle and garden. She intended to go to Akio, but held herself back. She passed by a room where there were two men and two girls. The men were guards and faithful servants of her lord. There was a servant girl working quickly on the other girl with brushes and pins. This caught Ami's interest. The men were watching and guarding carefully. The other girl was in a nice big blue kimono and was having her hair pinned up neatly.

"Hurry up, girl. We don't have all day. Our lord intends to leave soon." One of the guards told the servant girl.

The servant girl nodded hastily and worked quickly to pin the girls hair up. Ami clung to the side of the door, peeking in. It was none other than Kai in the blue kimono, being made up like a grown woman. Being only 13, it was hard to mature her youthful look. Her face made it obvious that she was hardly even there. Mentally, she had escaped somewhere else. Ami shook her head, not understanding the scenario in front of her. Why would Kai be wearing clothes like this? She was not in the Lord's favor. She remembered that there had been a few days where the girl was missing completely because Lord Eito was hiding her from Akio. But they had found her. Eito was becoming very ill, and could do very little to protect the young girl he was so fond of.

When she was done, the girl nodded and backed away, taking her things with her. When she passed Ami by the door, she looked directly at her as if she should not be prowling. Ami stopped the girl outside the door with her hand.

"Wait.." She whispered. "Please, what is going on in there?"

"Don't ask me. I don't want to get sent away too." The girl whispered quickly before shoving Ami's hand off of her arm and walking away.

"They are taking Kai?" Ami wondered aloud before looking back into the room.

One of the men took Kai by the arm, beginning to lead her out of the room. She did not try to fight him off or anything, she merely let him lead her, her feet sliding tiredly. When they got to the door, Ami put her hands on her hips.

"What is this?" She asked them. "Where are you taking her?"

"Ami, stay out of this." One of them said to her.

Her eyes found Kai's. The girl was so exhausted, she could hardly keep her head up. It seemed as if she had been drugged. "No, I demand you tell me right now where you intend to take young Kai in this state. Look at her, she can hardly stand."

"Ami, you are merely the Lord's mistress. You have no right to interrogate us." He said, shaking his head. "But if you must know.."

Before he could finish, both him and the other guard suddenly took a knee. Kai remained standing, absently looking into the wall. Ami turned around and saw Akio, causing her to lower her head.

"What is the hold up?" Akio said, snapping his fingers. The guards stood at this, and one of them spoke.

"We ran into your mistress our way to the carriages, my Lord. She demands to know where we are taking the girl." The guard answered.

"So we will stop for anybody who demands that you do? You are only to stop for me." He chided his guards before turning to Ami.

"It is none of your concern." He said to her.

Ami shook her head and slipped past the guards, placing her arm around Kai's shoulder. "Yes.. it very much is my concern. This girl has been drugged. Nontheless, she is very important to many people here and I think it's only reasonable that we know where you are taking her."

"Ami.." Kai attempted to speak, but instead she began to sink down. The guard that had her arm pulled her back up.

Akio glared. He snapped again to his guards. "Take the girl to the carriage."

Ami held the girls hand tight, and found that Kai squeezed her hand with what little strength she had in return. But the guards were large, and forced the girls hands away from each other. They led Kai down the hall, and Ami watched as the girl looked back at her and then forward again. Ami was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Akio pointing his finger at her.

"You will not act this way towards me. Have you gone mad?"

"If you are doing what I think you are doing, I think it is absolutely dreadful." She said defensively. "I hold my tongue too often. This will not be that time."

Akio looked around at all the servants who were pretending to mind their own business, and felt almost outnumbered by those who despised him. To be disrespected in front of them caused him great anger. He grabbed Ami roughly by the hair. Her feet barely kept up as he dragged her up the hall. When he found her room, he slid it open with his foot and threw her body onto the floor. A servant girl inside the room was holding Ami's infant, and she shrieked from the sudden intrusion. The baby began to cry at this.

"Out!" Akio snapped at the girl, who wrapped her arms around the crying baby protectively and left the room with him in great haste.

Ami lifted her head off the ground, pushing the floor with her hands. Her hair covered one of her eyes as she looked up at Akio. She no longer saw the man who saved her, but a monster. She knew now there would be no changing him back. No amount of softness or gentle encouragements would save him.

"You have delayed me with this foolishness." He shouted, his hair messily whipping around his shoulder.

"I am glad." She said, tears coming down her face. "Were you not going to say goodbye to me or your son? Those you proclaim to love? I have been so good and faithful to you. But you will not have me again. I swear it."

"Insolent.." He growled under his breath. "I have given you a life better than the one before it and this is how you thank me?"

Ami's tears came faster now. "You have done no such thing. I live in misery. The only comfort in my life is my son."

His eyebrows tightened at her words. His heart banged around inside of his chest. Guilt, anger, resentment. But mostly guilt. Ami, still on the floor, breathed out slowly. She felt his foot push her onto her back. "I will kill you right now, and then your child will have no mother."

"If that is your wish. But I know you..you won't."

Ami felt his hand under her arm as he brought her to her feet to look him in the eyes. "You are the only person who loves me. I couldn't stand it if you stopped. If I cannot have your affections, no one else will. I will give you this one chance to regain my favor."

Ami felt hot tears run down her face. There was still love in her heart for who he had been. But his actions could not be excused. She could not be scared and submissive anymore. She needed to follow Rin and Kai's example and be brave.

"I wish you had never rescued me. Moreso I wish that I had never succumbed to you and given you a child." She said with conviction.

Akio's face was red. He could feel his hand shaking as he reached for his sword. Looking at his sword, he saw his own tears painted on the blade. Taking a step back, he tried to steady his hand. Locking eyes with Ami, he drew back the sword. Ami was perfectly still, not looking to the weapon at all.

His hand began to shake so violently that he dropped the sword onto the floor. Ami stayed silent as he wiped the tears from his face, stumbling towards the door. He slid it open, and looked back at her for a moment before leaving.

Ami stood there, breathing heavily. A couple servant girls came rushing in, surrounding her in concern. She didn't take her eyes away from the door.

.…

The warm sun beat on Rin's face as she woke from her slumber. She looked to her side and saw that Sesshomaru was still there, and smiled. She felt closer now to him than ever. Leaning in, she placed a kiss on his forehead, causing him to wake up. His eyes focused on hers for a little while before either of them spoke.

"Today will begin the rest of our lives together, I know it." She said, smiling confidently.

Sesshomaru brought his hand up to her face, caressing it. "What happens now?"

Her smile faded a bit. There was a small chance that she wouldn't be able to come back. But she shook her head, trying to avoid these thoughts. "I will go to the priest Kojin."

"A priest?" Sesshomaru scoffed. "What manner of priest is he to offer this to you?"

"He isn't like other priests. It's hard to explain, but I trust him. I don't think he is taking me for a fool."

"Rin." He looked disappointed. "You put too much faith in others."

"I put my faith in you. Was that a mistake?"

He thought upon her words and frowned. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yes.. I am." Rin bit her lip.

"I will accompany you." He decided.

Rin let out a weak smile. "You can't come with me, my love. A temple is no place for a demon. You probably wouldn't even make it inside without becoming ill."

Seshomaru did not like this. He sat up, and then stood. Taking a step away from Rin, he looked to the ground, deep in thought. Rin sat up on her hands, watching him, and sighed.

"Kohaku said that you would kill yourself for me.. why did he say this?" He said, clenching his fist lightly.

Rin sighed. "I know you know what that means, Sesshomaru."

He growled and his teeth gritted. "I want to hear you say it."

A tear ran down her cheek and she shook her head. She couldn't bear to tell him that she might not come back. She didn't want to think of it.

"If you do not return, I will make the priest suffer. He is within this mountain, I can smell him. And a woman, too."

Rin stood up and wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru, laying her head on his back. "You will do no such thing. I will return. I promise you."

Sesshomaru turned around, stroking her face. "Rin, do not make promises you cannot keep."

Her face turned red as he said this. "I must take this risk for us. You must understand."

Sesshomaru nodded. "If it is your desire to obtain such a long life, you shall find out both its pains and pleasures. You will watch the humans that you have grown so close to all wither away. You will find yourself bored with existence, and feel nothing but contempt for the short-lived creatures of this world."

"Sesshomaru, do not try to dissuade me. I will have you. That is all I need. Don't you see that?" She argued, pulling his forehead to hers.

"I hope that is all." He said, closing his eyes. "I will wait right here for you until you return."

Rin kissed his forehead. "Thank you, my love."

…..

A cold mist sat on the air in the Southern lands and Monomaru could smell the scent of blood and dog demons. He was close to his destination. The Southern palace was not too far from where he stood. He had not been there in so long, he could hardly even remember it. His wife had been born and raised in this palace. The southern dog demons were a rougher breed and their ways were slightly different from that of the Eastern and Western dog demons. But there were also more of them, not many more, but notably. They refused to take part in wars that they deemed not worthy of their time, so they had not perished in the great wars that had killed so many. This decision to remain detached from the other dog demons caused Monomaru to not be very fond of his wife's father. So he was surprised when he learned that his deceased wife's father was requesting an audience with him.

"Perhaps the old man has changed his ways." Monomaru thought aloud. "Maybe he is willing to take part in this world's affairs instead of locking him and his people away from others."

Just then, he saw the very palace he had set out to find. Sighing in relief, he headed toward it. The estate was a big black castle with large doors and a grand entrance with a large dog demon at the foot of it all. When he approached the man, he was greeted with a smile.

"Lord Monomaru of the East. I am happy to welcome you." Said the young dog demon. From his clothing, it was obvious that he was the Lord's guard and champion. "Please come with me. My Lord will be notified that you are here."

"My thanks, young lad." Monomaru smiled at the man, and patted him on the back. "It has been a long journey."

The dog demon escorted him into the castle. First there was a courtyard with a great garden. There were two mice demon tending to the plants as they walked through, not daring to look up at the larger creatures that were before them. There were a couple of children running around after each other. Studying the children, he saw that they were half bloods. They had the features of a dog demon, but they were small and scrawny like a fox demon.

"Such beautiful children, but small. Who's might they be?" Monomaru inquired.

The guard smiled. "These are grandchildren of Lord Ryomaru by his youngest son. He found himself smitten with a fox demoness much to the dismay of my Lord."

"If he has not accepted them then why are they here in his palace?"

The man let out a small chuckle. "My Lord initially sent his son and his lover away. But after they married and had children, he invited them back into his good graces. I think it was my Lady who convinced him to do so. She does love the little ones and does not care that their mother is a fox demoness."

When they got to the end of the garden, there was a woman with long black hair and big red eyes. She was dressed in regal clothing, and had a very welcoming aura. Monomaru recognized her right away. Her smile upon seeing his face made him warm inside, and he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss upon it.

"My Lady, you haven't aged a day." Monomaru flattered the woman.

"Lord Monomaru, I am honored to welcome you. My husband is glad you have agreed to speak with him." Her red lips smiled so genuinely.

"Dear Lady Kohra, you and Lord Ryomaru do not harbor any resentment for me?" Monomaru let go of her hand.

The Lady sighed, and shook her head. "What happened to my daughter was not your fault, Monomaru."

"I failed her as her husband. I could not protect her." He said sadly.

"Please do not speak of it, Monomaru. No amount of blame will bring her back." The Lady said before motioning to the guard. "I will take him from here."

She turned and led him inside. The walls were golden and lined with paintings of the Lord's ancestors and family. He caught a glimpse of a painting of a little girl with black hair and sharp fangs, and knew it to be a picture of his late wife as a child. He sighed and moved forward, the place giving him too many old memories to handle. When they reached the throne room, he saw a small number of dog demons. There was a couple men who looked as if they were busy. One was old and the other was young, and they were both looking over and revising a scroll. Monomaru figured they must be the Lord's advisors. Then he saw a woman with curly brown hair and blue eyes. She had regal clothing like the Lady Kohra although it was a deep blue. Sitting on the arm of the throne, she fanned herself and leaned into the dog demon in it, whispering in his ear. When she noticed there was a guest, she quickly hopped off the arm of the throne and composed herself. Monomaru recognized her as his father-in-laws second wife, Lady Biata. This was not something he particularly liked. His wife had hated her fathers ways and his foreign bride. He nodded to her politely, and she returned his polite gesture.

Monomaru looked then at the Lord of the South. He was just how he remembered him. A large man with a shrewd look about him. His eyes were red and his hair was black with grey stripes. He had a large nose and a mean expression. He was a much older demon, so his face was beginning to wrinkle, although he did not look particularly old. He rose from his throne and stepped down to greet Monomaru. The men made short nods to each other before speaking.

"Lord Monomaru. My friend, it has been too long." The old demon said in his very deep voice.

"Lord Ryomaru… You know as well as I that our work is never done. To be in charge of such a large territory is a great burden." He said, making the Southern lord smile.

"Yes, it is hard work. But we do what we must. It is my understanding that you no longer wish to do it though. So much so that you have put my granddaughter in your place."

"I know how you feel about these matters, Lord Ryomaru. But I have never had any sons, you know. And Gina is very capable, and strong."

Ryomaru reluctantly smiled and shook his head. "I found this out when she came to see me. Feisty and very strong headed like her mother. I don't know where they got it from."

Lady Kohra made a short bow. "My Lord, might we take this into a more comfortable setting for our guest?"

Monomaru soon found himself in a smaller room with seating that made a circle so that all parties could see one another. He was seated across from Lord Ryomaru. To one side was Lady Kohra and on the other was Lady Biata. The old dog demon snapped his fingers and a servant came over, offering drinks to them.

"You are much too young to retire, Monomaru." The old demon started off. "Might you reconsider?"

"I am not like you, my friend. I no longer wish to rule in my old age. I am confident in my Gina, she will be a fine leader and guardian."

The old demon shook his head. "I didn't think I would see such a day, but here it is. And I hope you are right. Do you not believe that she should be married?"

"I do not think that would make her very happy." Monomaru started to get annoyed with Ryomaru's prying questions.

"You are much too soft, Monomaru." He smiled. "Our young females are misled. They are not having enough children to keep our bloodlines strong. The dog demons will come to an end eventually."

Monomaru was silent for a few moments watching the three dog demons before him. Kohra looked uncomfortable as she looked to Monomaru and her husband. It was clear she did not want any words to turn into an argument. And the blue eyed woman fanned herself tiredly, not paying too much attention to what was going on.

"Lord Monomaru, how is my Hana?" She said worriedly.

"She is fine, Lady Kohra. A few days ago, she gave birth to a boy." He said, nodding.

"Oh, that is wonderful!" Kohra smiled weakly. "We should arrange for her to come here and visit with the child."

This caught Biata's attention. She slapped her fan closed and looked to her husband. He nodded to her as if he knew what she was saying, even though she hadn't said a word.

"Ladies, I think I should prefer to have the rest of this meeting alone with Lord Monomaru." Ryomaru said.

Both of the ladies at the table rose and made a short bow before leaving. Kohra looked back at Monomaru and sighed before leaving. He took notice to this.

"You will have to forgive Lady Kohra's forwardness." Ryomaru said.

"It is not a problem. She is family. Why shouldn't she see her great grandson?"

Monomaru was starting to revisit his hatred of this man. Such little concern for others. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Monomaru. Is it true that my granddaughter Hana has given birth to a pureblood male?"

"This is true."

"But he is illegitimate." He finished.

"Yes.. Hana has atoned for her actions."

"And you do not know of the father's identity? There are so few, I'm sure you have narrowed it down, haven't you? Or perhaps she has told you herself?"

Monomaru thought of Sesshomaru, and how the young man had refused to marry Hana. If he admitted that he knew who he was, Ryomaru would accuse him of being weak. "I do not. Probably a nomadic creature. I have not located him."

Ryomaru's face darkened. "This is a problem."

Monomaru's face tightened. "You say this as if I don't know. Have I come all the way for you to tell me this?"

"You tone betrays you, Lord Monomaru. Remember, you are in my territory." Ryomaru warned. "I have not had you come to insult you. But to talk about solutions to our problem."

"Solutions?" Monomaru asked.

Ryomaru nodded. "Times are changing, I am not blind to that. We cannot seem to keep the old ways as long as the scarcity exists. Five hundred years ago I would have cursed my granddaughters name for such an act of dishonor."

"So you are not angry that she had an illegitimate child, then?" Monomaru asked, his eyebrow rising.

"No, the only thing I want is for her and the child's safety. The first pureblood in centuries, his upbringing is of great importance to me. Bring her and the child to me, and I will make sure that they are cared for. Perhaps one of my men will take to Hana regardless of her situation. There aren't many young ladies here anymore, so the men aren't inclined to be choosy."

" _Your young men go without ladies yet one is not good enough for you."_ Monomaru felt like saying but held his tongue. "I will consider this, Lord Ryomaru."

Ryomaru let out a smirk, and raised his glass.

…

A hammer smashed down on a hunk of metal, making a terrible shriek. Keiji wiped his sweaty forehead with his calloused hands. His face had recovered since his confrontation with Kohaku, but he still had a couple scars across his cheek from the confrontation. Holding the metal to the fire with his gloved hand, he hissed at an ember that made it's way onto his forearm. Pulling the metal back out to pound it down, he lifted the hammer but then paused. Lifting his head to hear more clearly, sounds of horses hooves and a carriage rolling on the ground made their way to his ear. Tossing the stuff aside, he picked up his sword and began to head for the door. A paranoid being he was, but he found no fault in being on his toes.

When he made his way outside of his small cottage, he glared in the direction the sounds were coming from. He could see a bunch of armed men were riding in his direction. A carriage followed them, with whatever cargo might be in there. He recognized a few of the men as ones he had seen before. The men who were looking for Rin.

" _I knew there was something wrong with that woman, she's got someone on her tail. I will help them as long as they have what I've asked for." He thought._

The men came closer to the cottage and began to halt their horses when they saw the large man outside of his home.

"So you have returned? This is good news for me." He said greedily, remembering the amount that he had demanded of them.

Akio trotted his horse over to Keiji, amd dismounted. "You are the one they call Keiji. A swordmsith, I understand?"

"At your service, Lord Akio, is it?" He said, sheathing his sword.

"Indeed." Akio was disgusted by the man's look. He was dirty from his endless work. "One day I might choose to employ you for this. But a different matter sees us today. You told my crew that you know the location of my wife?"

"Yes, I have the knowledge you need to find her." He insisted, licking his lips and nodding. "She came to me and had a sword crafted a while ago. I am aware of her current connections. Finding her will be easy, of course if you have what I asked."

Akio glared at the confident man before him. "Careful, peasant. Do not speak to me as if you are my equal. What you asked is an unreasonable sum. I will give what I deem worthy of this service. I think you will be more than pleased."

Keiji looked at Lord Akio and scoffed. He was not a small man, but was decorated and had long, silky hair and a gentle face. _"Pretty rich boy.." He thought to himself._ He caught himself before he said anything that might ruin this for him. He nodded, waiting for Akio to continue.

Akio snapped to one of his guards and the guard headed to one of the carriages. He tapped on the door a couple times before opening it.

 _TAP TAP! "What is that?" She thought as she opened her eyes groggily. "Oh no, where am I?"_

Kai stood up and felt her legs wobble beneath her. The door in front of her was opened and she looked down at the guard who had guarding over her throughout this whole traveling ordeal. He had forcefed her sake at Lord Akio's request to make her weak and compliant. She stepped backwards until her bottom hit the other side of the carrriage.

"Come out, girl." The guard said gently, extending a hand to her. "Do not make this hard for yourself. You've been through enough."

Kai sighed and reluctantly stepped forward, extending her hand to him. He helped her down from the carriage. She looked around and saw all of Akio's men and Akio himself in front of a run down cottage.

"Head down, and follow me." The guard said quietly.

In her confusion, she knew nothing but to just listen until she found out where she was and what was going on. She walked forward, keeping her gaze to the ground as she walked in the direction of the cottage. When the guard stopped, she did too. The guard nodded to Akio, and he smirked, turning to Keiji.

"I offer you this young beauty for the recovery of my wife." He said.

Kai's body slumped a little. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She felt shame wash over her and she wanted to hide away from everyone here.

Keiji could hardly believe the offering. It was generous, but not at all what he wanted. He looked at the frail being in front of him, not looking to him at all. He shook his head hesitantly. "What do I need with a girl?"

Akio looked the man up and down. Surely a man this ugly would not turn down such an offer. "This is my only offer. I could take it away just as easily. And then you will have nothing."

Keiji made his way over to Kai, and she could see his large feet approaching her. Her body was so weak from day after day of sake and little food, it betrayed her when she wanted to withdraw from him. She was frozen with grief. She felt his large hand lift her face, and his hard eyes studied hers. "So young.." He said.

"I can assure you she is mature." Akio said.

"Let me see about that." He whispered. Kai looked at Keiji in horror as he opened her mouth with his dirty hands and looked inside to make sure she had all of her teeth. He saw that she did, but as soon as he did she bit down on his finger. He hissed, squeezing his bloody finger. The guard that was in charge of her grabbed her violently, pulling her away.

Akio laughed at him as did his men. "She likes you, see? Then it is settled."

Keiji nodded, a small smile coming over his face. He did not want to seem like a poor sport by getting mad. "I will accept your offer, Lord Akio."

A few minutes later, he had closed up his little cottage and was mounting his horse. He felt a twinge of fear take over his mind and he wondered if this was the right choice. Keiji looked at the young girl Kai and sighed. Akio rode up beside him, his eyes studying the man.

"Where do you intend to lead us first?" Akio inquired.

"A friend." Was all he said.

Akio nodded and motioned for one of his men to bring Kai to Keiji. "I should hope that you are a man of your word as you seem. If not, you will wish you had never asked anything of me."

Keiji bit his lip, knowing if he didn't he would say something most foul to this man. He was then distracted by the girl being pushed in his direction. He watched as she almost fell near his horse.

"Kai, your service to me and my family has ended. Keiji has paid your debt and so you will answer to him now." Akio said, boredly looking towards his men who were abandoning the empty carriages.

"I answer to no one." She said with her small yet assertive voice.

A silence grew between everyone, and Keiji felt eyes upon him. He shook his head and reached down, pulling the small girl up with one arm. Sitting her in front of him, he took a hold of the reigns and motioned to the other men.

"Our first destination is but a day away. Follow me." He said aloud.

Akio smirked and nodded to his men and the sounds of several horse hooves could be heard trampling away. Keiji cast a glance at the girl, and saw that she did not look afraid of him. He rode ahead of the other men.

"I will resist should you try anything." She warned him..

"Hush, girl. You have said enough." He murmured.

"I hope for your sake you've made a promise you can keep. I can assure you if you do not deliver Lady Rin to them, they will kill you. You haven't even begun to see what they are capable of." She said softly.

He looked at her with hesitation for a moment but then shook his head and looked forward.

…

The cliffside was dreary, even in the middle of the day. Sesshomaru say waiting for Rin to return to him. He felt a certain sadness take over him when he thought of her absolute devotion to him. Nothing would stop her from being with him forever. She had always spoken of it as a child, but now she was an adult and set on it. To lose her would be a great tragedy, but he didn't want her to give up her mortality just to be with him. Humans were not meant to have such long lives.

"It is her will." He said to himself.

"My Lord!" Jaken screeched from a few yards away, scrambling over to the dog demon.

"What is it, Jaken? I hope it is important." Sesshomaru said, not bothering to turn and look at him.

"My lord, when you asked me to leave you be with Rin I thought that meant you were going to return. But here I find you sitting still with her nowhere to be found."

"I told her I would wait for her."

"Well, I wish you hadn't made that promise. Something has come to my attention. A messenger of the Eastern palace has brought me news."

Sesshomaru's eyes tightened at the thought of anything plucking him from the spot he was in. Frowning, he turned to Jaken.

"Hana has given birth, then?"

"Yes, and I was given this note that was meant just for you. I wonder what it says."

Sesshomaru felt his chest drop when he heard of the child being born. He extended his hand to receive the letter and brought it up to better read the small handwriting. It was Hana's.

 _Lord Sesshomaru,_

 _I have sent this letter to you to inform you that you have a son. I risk my fathers anger by even writing you, but I believe that you have the right to know. He is a big child, and very strong. He is named Junomaru, by my fathers blessing. He will be raised well. Do not worry for him._

 _Lady Hana_

Sesshomaru looked on at the note before him and felt a longing he hadn't felt before. The wish to be able to set eyes upon the infant took him. He also felt anger towards Monomaru for keeping him from his son and naming him in his place.

"Hana is the more reasonable of the two. It is unfortunate that she cannot escape the confines of her fathers wishes. She does not want it to be like this any more than I."

"Do you intend to go and retrieve your child, my Lord?" Jaken asked. Sesshomaru merely glared.

"No." He said, folding up the note and handing it back to Jaken. "In order to retrieve my son, I would have to separate him from Hana. I will leave him in her care."

"I must say that is wise , my Lord. You are not exactly equipped to take care of an infant, I dare say."

Sesshomaru glared at Jaken, but it was true. He didn't know the first thing about caring for an infant and neither Jaken nor anyone else in the palace would be a good replacement for the mother. It was best to leave things as they were for now. Sighing, he looked again to the sky.

" _Junomaru.." He thought to himself, trying to imagine what his child looked like._

…

Rin stood in the heart of the mountain. Kojin on one side of her, and Mina to the other. The room was dark, only lit by a few candles. She wore a thin sheet over herself as Kojin hummed a prayer silently. She had come here and little words were passed between them. The priest knew that she would not change her mind. She was decided, and so now she would go forth and meet Death. Her breaths could be heard loudly bouncing off the walls. In front of them stood a body of water, deep enough to submerge yourself in. Rin's eyes fell to it. It looked so cold.

When Kojin was done praying, he turned to Mina. "Mina, the jug."

She nodded and picked up the decorated jug that was by her and gently poured the contents into the water. The liquid inside was red like blood, and smelled strong. It turned the water black before Rin's eyes. This frightened her, but she did not show it. She stood there, her long black hair flowing around her freely.

"Rin, please disrobe and climb down into the water." Kojin said soothingly.

Rin nodded, and shakily removed the sheet from around her. Her naked body was free for both the priest and the woman to see, but she did not care. There was no room for pride at this very moment. She was focused on what she had to do. She slowly walked into the body of water, looking straight ahead. The more she walked, the deeper she got. She could hear Kojin praying aloud, words she could hardly understand. His voice became louder as the water crept past her shoulders and past her neck. And then deeper she went, until just her eyes were above the water line. She then felt as if something grabbed her and pulled her under. She flailed a little, trying to swim back up but no result. Holding her breath, she tried to remain calm. Closing her eyes, she began to pray.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that she was no longer underwater. She was in a grand room with black walls and nothing to line it. Empty and grey, it made her gasp. She looked down and saw that she was no longer nude but had a black kimono on. She walked forward, looking around the room until she stumbled upon someone. There stood a tall white man, who seemed to glow. His clothes were made of fabrics that couldn't possibly exist in the human world. They shined and glistened. His face was soft and pretty, and his hair was black. A huge crown of gold sat around his head. He was a marvelous being to behold. Rin was speechless and instinct took hold as she bowed low at his feet.

The man smiled and placed his hand on her head. "You are the one who has escaped me, are you not?"

"Yes, I am Rin." She said, raising her head to look at him. His large fingers brushed her face as he took a step back.

"It is very presumptuous that you should come to me under these conditions. I do not fancy those who cheat me."

"Forgive me, it was not my doing." Rin pleaded.

"Ah, yes, the pompous demon Lord. He doesn't wish for you to die. But that is not his choice. It is up to me whether a mortal lives or dies."

"Please, I love him." She said, shaking her head. "I have brought myself here to be at your mercy only for him."

"I know this..." He said, looking deep into her eyes. "But he has selfishly kept you away from an eternity of happiness."

Rin watched him quietly, waiting for him to elaborate. The man waved his arm and there was a hole split open in the room. He extended his hand to her, and she took it. Helping her off her feet, he led her through the hole. When they got to the other side, there was a large green field ahead of her. There was a small village, and a bunch of villagers bustled about. There was a heavenly hue to this place, but also it looked vaguely familiar. She looked at a small hut out in the middle of the village and stopped.

"What is this place?" She asked softly, looking at him.

"You don't remember? Perhaps they will help you memorize this place." He said , pointing his long pale fingers in the direction of the hut.

"Rin?" She heard a womans voice as she turned to look back at the hut. There stood a man and a woman looking at her curiously. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at their faces. When she realized who they were, her eyes widened.

"Mother.." She gasped. "Father?"

She couldn't feel her body as she ran towards the couple. They, in turn, opened up their arms to her and she fell deep into their embrace. He heart exploded as she felt her parents warmness surround her. She choked on tears as they kissed her cheeks and held her tight.

"We've missed you so much." Said her mother.

"You've grown up." Said her father.

"I never thought I'd see you again." She said, wiping her tears from her eyes.

Rin looked at their smiles and felt for the first time in a long time an incredible bliss wash over her. Before anybody could say anything else, the man laid a hand on her shoulder.

"This is what your Lord has been keeping you from. All I want for you is to live happily in this paradise with your loved ones. He should have never interfered."

Her heart dropped as she looked into the faces of her parents. "But he did.."

"The living despise me, they think I am cruel to take them from the world. But what I give them in return is this." He said. "Like you, others have come to me wanting the same thing. Immortality. When I show them this, they have almost all decided to stay with me here in the afterlife. You Rin must make the same choice."

"They chose to stay.." She said, a tear running down her cheek.

"Come home, sweetie." Her mother said softly.

"If you choose to live on, you will never be able to come here again. Even if you parish, you will simply be gone. Your soul will no longer be after this day. You will become nothing."

Rin reached out for her parents again, feeling their faces and hugging them. She turned to Death and saw that he was nodding happily. She then began to walk backwards, away from them.

"I love you both. I'm so sorry." She said through tears. "But my place is with Sesshomaru."

Her parents faces turned, and nodded sadly. "Goodbye, Rin."

She blinked, and they were gone. The field was no more. The village no longer there, though in her mind she was still there. Before her, the god himself sat in his throne, stroking his face as if he was thinking of something. Rin felt herself begin to sob at what she had just given up. Her parents faces, fresh in her mind.

"Your devotion to this demon is unrivaled. You would give up an eternity of happiness for him."

"Yes.. I would. Please.. Forgive our crimes against you and allow me to be with him." She begged.

He stood up. "Very well. But you must promise me that you will never speak of this place."

Rin nodded. "Thank you.."

Kojin hummed quietly as Mina stared into the water. "It's not happening. She isn't coming back. Probably for the best."

"Mina.." Kojin gave her a dirty look.

But just then the water began to bubble and a naked and gasping Rin clung to the ground, trying to pull herself out of the water. Kojin quickly grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her, pulling her out of the water. She laid on the side and coughed violently as he held onto her forehead, and yelled words she did not understand. She coughed one last time, and a misty cloud escaped through her mouth and dissipated. She felt her body tingle all over as the scars on her hand and body disappeared. Her wide, scared eyes looked up at the priest.

"It is done.." Kojin said calmly, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

….

 _What a cruel thing it is to remove me from my loving Lord Eito in his time of illness. Thoughts of him kept me awake last night, but I doubt I would have slept anyways. Akio gave me to Keiji to take revenge on me for having his fathers love and affection. To be rid of him was my wish, but not like this. This Keiji is a rude man. He insists on calling me girl, even though I've told him my name on more than one occasion. I have made an effort to be quiet and respectful only to give myself time to plan my next move to get out of here. But that even becomes harder as the weather becomes cold. Keiji built a temporary lodging out of a sheet and rope last night for us to sleep under. And as I watched the other men setting up their own sleeping arrangements, I could feel myself becoming nervous.._

" _I could sleep outside, if you want." I suggested. "Then you would have more room."_

" _So you can freeze to death? No." He said, waving his hand dismissively._

 _A few minutes later, I looked over to the men who were settling in over a large pot of broth and rice. They laughed over crude jokes together, not caring that I was there to listen. "Come, Keiji!" The men called to him. "You need not make your own fire. Join us and eat."_

 _I sat next to Keiji, not making any eye contact with anybody as they laughed and talked among each other. I ate a little, and it felt nice to have something that was not sake in my system for once. He joined in the gross jokes about women and I cringed. Akio was no where to be seen, as he did not like being friendly with his men. Trying to enjoy the warmth of the fire, I scooted a bit closer to it. I wanted so badly to stretch my feet out to the fire and warm my toes but I knew that it was immodest to show any leg and would surely get a rise out of everyone. I'm not a child anymore. Akio has seen to that. I hate him. When the fire began to die, I turned to Keiji and he looked as if he was deep in thought. He must have seen me looking at him because he looked right back._

" _Come on, then. Let's go back." He said._

 _I felt my body stiffen, and it took me a moment to rise to my feet. I had never spent the night next to a man before and I didn't like the idea of him trying to get at me. Following him back, I could feel my legs finding the strength to run. But I stopped myself and entered the little sheet lodging. Immediately I found a small corner and wrapped myself into a ball, hugging my knees. Keiji saw this and shook his head, chuckling._

" _Come lay at my side, girl. Do not worry so much."_

 _Reluctantly, I crawled over and laid next to him facing away, making sure our bodies didn't touch. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his body. I was ready to fight him off, but to my surprise he didn't try to force himself on me. After a few minutes, my body began to calm. He fell asleep, and I stared into the whiteness of the lodging. He smelled musky, but his body was warm and I could feel his beard rubbing up against my hair. I tried to take comfort, but there was very little. I wished for sleep, but it never came._

Kai cupped her hands and dipped it into the fresh water of the river, splashing it on her face. She then dipped her hands in again, and pressed the fresh water to her lips. Drinking the cold water gave her body a rush. She had been so parched lately it felt great to finally hydrate. Kai drank her fill from the river.

"We must get back to the others soon." Keiji said, waiting close by.

Kai turned to look at Keiji and nodded. "May I ask you how you got those scars?" She tried to make conversation.

"You hardly say a thing to me, and then you ask about my face. Am I so hideous?"

Kai shook her head. "I was just curious."

"To think I have accepted you in place of money. That Akio swindled me. No going back now, of course. A deal is a deal, and I am a man of my word. You insult me with your questioning." He said, folding his arms. "But if you must know I got into a bad fight a little while back."

Kai frowned. "And the other man?"

"What about him? I sent him running home with his tail between his legs." he said pompously.

Keiji saw that she was not impressed with his story and approached her, pulling her to him. She was much shorter than him, so he lifted her off the ground with one arm and tilted her face up with the other hand so she would look at him. She cringed at him. "I may not be beautiful, girl, but I do have good qualities. You will see that I am a good protector, and you will learn to like me."

Kai felt her whole body becoming cold as he leaned down to kiss her. Before his lips could reach hers, they could hear one of the men yelling for him. He looked up and she sighed in relief. "Let's go." He said, placing her back onto her feet.

A few hours later, they were getting close to their destination. Kai sat behind Keiji on his horse, and had to hold onto his waist much to her dismay. She did not like having to be so close to him. But if she let go, she would fall off. She looked up when the horse stopped and saw what looked like an abandoned village. There were empty homes everywhere. She counted them as they trotted by. They came to the largest home and the men dismounted from their horses. Keiji nodded to Akio.

"Invade the home. Snatch out the man and bring him to me. But be careful, he is armed." Akio said to his men.

The men descended into the home and both Keiji and Akio dismounted from the horses. There was a great commotion coming from the cabin and after a couple minutes a few of the men resurfaced from the door. They had a man tied down and bloody and were dragging him along with them. They must have caught him resting as he only had the bottom half of his clothes on.

"Kirara!" The man yelled, looking desperately into the woods. One of the men slugged him, making him fall to his knees.

"My lord, he injured two of our men!" One of them shouted.

Kai saw this and gasped. Keiji smirked and walked over to the man. "Hello, old friend."

"Keiji.." The bloodied man grunted.

"My friend is missing his wife. And as I recall, you are the last person I saw with her." He taunted.

"Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn't tell you." he said.

Keiji hit him across the face hard, and the man coughed up blood.

"Kohaku, where is Rin?" He said, aggravated.

"Kirara!" The man yelled again, and Akio's men looked at each other confusedly. Keiji hit him again and again, asking him each time about the whereabouts of Rin.

Kai felt a tear going down her cheek as she watched the man being pummeled by Keiji. He was on the ground now and barely responsive. She slid down from the horse as fast as she could and ran over, draping herself across the man called Kohaku.

"Stop it! You're killing him!" She yelled frantically. Her face was pressed against the man, who peeked open an eye in his weariness.

"This is none of your concern. Get up." Keiji said loudly.

"Perhaps it would be best if we do this elsewhere." Akio said, looking around at the other homes, weary that someone might be listening. "Let us continue on the road until we find a suitable place for an interrogation. Perhaps a dip in the river might jog his memory."

Keiji gritted his teeth and nodded. His revenge had been cut short. The other men began to mount their horses, getting ready to retreat. A couple of them were shouting for Kai to get up and release Kohaku to them. She held the half-unconscious man to her, not letting him go until she felt the large hand of Keiji rip her from him and onto her feet.

Keiji growled. "Your bleeding heart is wasted on him."

Kohaku laid there silently and watched as the girl who had spared him was pulled away. He tried to lift his head, but he felt so weak from the blows that he couldn't. He felt himself being lifted when he lost consciousness.

…

A baby was being bounced gently up and down in its mothers arms, feeding generously on her breast. The mother, Hana, smiled gently as she looked out of the palace windows. It was a light day, but she was doomed to stay inside. She could not leave to hunt or to breathe. She had to stay and protect her child. Hana prayed that her sister would return soon with something she could feed upon. The days of baiting and torturing their meal was over. It was no longer enjoyable, at least to her. Gina would bring her scraps of dead men she had slayed and she would have to accept with gratitude.

Looking up, she saw a giant beast heading towards the castle and let out a small smile. "Father.."

She quickly but carefully made her way down the stairs to greet him at the door. When she opened the door, his face looked sad. "Hana.." He leaned in to embrace her and the child, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Why so glum, Father?" She said, shaking he head. He walked past her into the hallways.

She followed him until they made their way into a room where he seated himself. She sat down in front of him, adjusting the infant. Looking at him curiously, she waited for him to speak.

"Your grandfather wants you to go to him and live in the Southern palace." He said.

Hana shook her head. "You must be mistaken. Grandfather is unbearable. I wouldn't think of it. Me and Gina don't avoid the Southern lands for nothing."

"Gina is the one who went to him first. Apparently she does not find him as unappealing as you do."

Hana's mouth fell open, and she shook her head. "Well you told him no."

"I did not."

Hana became morose, unlatching the child from her and pulling her kimono up. She placed the infant down, making him cry pitifully. "I will not go."

"Your sister cannot fend for you alone. I would have staff but the both of you can't seem to keep a servant alive for more than a couple nights. And I am not always around to protect you. Your son is very important to our bloodline. What if something were to happen to you both?" He defended his position. "It would be better this way. Junomaru can have a good upbringing."

Monomaru plucked up his grandson and held him close to stop his wailing. "He will not be unkind."

Hana ignored him, looking away towards the wall. _"Gina.. Why are you trying to get rid of me?"_

….

 _What misfortune befalls this man Kohaku. Yesterday I watched him being_ _shoved headfirst_ _again and again into the river, the men holding him refusing him air until the very last moment. I coul_ _dn't stand to watch, but I stood there anyway. My inability to stop the torture hurts my very being. Injustice surrounds me. Kohaku's pain has caused me to worry less about my own well being. I have to take it upon myself to help this man. And perhaps, he can help me. It would appear that Keiji knows him from the past,_ _although I wouldn't dare ask him about it._ _He says that I will learn to like him. How can anybody like someone like him? He is violent and pompous. I want nothing to do with him._

"It's going to get dark soon. Let us set up camp." Kai heard Akio's voice and glared in his direction. "Tie the man to the tree there."

She watched as Kohaku was dragged over to a tree and secured there. His face made her heart drop. He was so severely beaten that his eye was swollen shut. They had tried everything to get him to divulge information, but they never got anywhere with him. Akio was beginning to get angry with Keiji for this.

"I hope you have another plan once that man is dead. He will not last long like this and it is clear he will not talk."

"If we feed him and keep him alive, perhaps she will come for him. You can send one of your men to his sisters home. Demand that they bring Rin to get him back." Keiji suggested.

Akio's face turned when he mentioned that Rin would come to save Kohaku. Looking over at the man, he scoffed. "Why would she come back for him? He is nothing special."

"It will surely work, though." He insisted.

Akio didn't answer. "Fine. You will give one of my men direction. He will go to Kohaku's sister and deliver the message should we fail to get information from him tomorrow."

Before he could answer back, Akio was already walking away from him. He looked over to the tree Kohaku was under and felt his heart turn on itself. "Goddammit, Kohaku. I didn't want it to be like this." He whispered to himself. "But you started it over that damn woman."

Kai was sitting not too far away from him, minding her own business. Her small hands worked delicately on a blue shawl, mending a small hole that had been made. When she saw Keiji walking over to her, she focused harder on it, ignoring his presence.

"It looks good." He said, trying to gain her attention.

She lifted her eyes to meet his, her face serious and glum. "Thank you." Was all she replied before looking back down.

"I have not asked much about you.. Have you come from Akio's village?" He asked.

"Yes.." She said, "I was orphaned and his father kept me and made sure I was cared for."

He smiled, leaning down to brush a hair out of her face, and she stayed still, refusing to look at him. "Kai, I think you will be content to return to my home with me. It is no castle, I can assure you. But less room makes for less housework. I will try to make you happy."

She continued doing her task, not wanting to hear him talk about such things. She did not intend to return to that lonely cottage in the woods with him. He sighed and gently took the shawl form her hands placing it to the side. He held both of her small hands and knelt down to be at her level. " You are afraid that I will be unkind, but I am a reasonable man.. You are much too pretty to be a housegirl. I will marry you to protect your honor as a decent woman. Does this please you?"

Her eyes widened, and she could feel her face fall into a frown. "Please, give me my shawl back." She said quietly. He shook his head in annoyance, standing and tossing the shawl into her lap.

"You are young, still. Unable to realize how lucky you are to be bequeathed to me and not some vagrant."

Later on, Keiji was sitting around the fire with the other men. Kai was a few feet away from the circle of men, humming to herself and trying to stay warm without being near the others. She draped her blue shawl around her head to keep warm and sighed. The way the men spoke to one another, she did not like. She glanced over at Kohaku, who's head was completely down. She thought perhaps he was sleeping.

"Kai." She could hear Keiji's voice calling her from the firepit.

Standing up, she grudgingly walked over to where he was, looking towards the ground. Keiji saw the look on her face, and he knew she didn't like him very much. He held something out to her, and she looked up. He was handing her a piece of bread. She reached out her hand and took it. He then threw a folded sheet at her and she caught it with the other.

"For the man." He said. "I will not free his hands. You must give these to him. But do not indulge him in conversation. He is Lord Akio's captive. We only need to keep him alive."

Kai nodded her head before turning and walking slowly over to Kohaku. Kneeling down in front of the man, she nudged him. His good eye opened and he focused on her as she gently wrapped his bare skin with the warm sheet. "You.."

"Eat." She whispered, bringing the bread to his lips.

He obeyed, and took a bite of the bread. "Thank you."

"Eat slowly." She whispered, looking behind her to see if Keiji was looking. When she saw he was not she turned to Kohaku. "I think we can help each other."

"How?"

"I will find a way to free you. I promise. But you must take me with you."

"You should not risk yourself for my sake." He said quietly, continuing to nibble the bread. "Do you know what they would do to you if they caught us?"

"Yes, but I will not be dissuaded. I have to get out of here and so do you." She whispered quickly.

A weak smile fell across the face of Kohaku. "To think my savior would be a young girl. Of course I will take you with me."

As he ate the last piece of the bread, he got some crumbs in his beard. Kai, seeing this, smiled for the first time in ages. She could tell Kohaku was not like the other men, there was a gentleness about him. She wondered how such a big man could have such a boyish charm about him. When she realized she had been smiling at him for a while, her cheeks turned red and she immediately stood.

Keiji turned and watched as Kai gave Kohaku the bread, and smiled at him. He saw the way she looked at him and his neck grew hot. Jealousy began to take hold of him. Kai stood up and headed back in his direction. When her face was visible, he could see her blushing.

Keiji sat still as Kai approached him. She did not look into his eyes as she stood there. "I've done what you asked."

When he didn't say anything in return, she let her eyes meet his. She could see the jealousy in his expression and it made her want to be as far away from him as she could be. She looked away again before speaking. "May I go to sleep now?"

Keiji waved her away and she turned quickly, making her way for the campsite. There was barely any sounds but the distant voices of the men and her own breath against the cold air of the night. She whipped open the flap to their lodging and closed it behind her. Crawling in, she sat there sitting on her knees. A tear made its way down her cheek as she removed the shawl from herself. Ripping the pins that had been in her hair for the past few days, she threw them to the floor. Her hair fell down around her shoulders as she removed them one after the other. Stroking her arm in a comforting fashion, she thought of Lord Eito and how he would hold her to him when she was scared or crying. But he was far away from her now, and this made her morose.

It was then she heard a rustle outside and stopped. Turning to look, she bit her lip. Keiji's hands were black from the fire ashes. She watched him as he slowly made his way to her side. She breathed heavily as he stroked her cheek, leaving black stripes on her face. "Such a sad face. Do I really disgust you so much?"

"No." She said quietly.

"You must think me a monster then." He shook his head. "That Kohaku you pity so much is not a good man.. he does not deserve your sympathy."

"And you are a good man?" She said sharply, against her best judgment. She saw him raise his hand and brought her arms up to her face instinctively, bracing herself.

He frowned, putting his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her to him. He pressed his lips against hers and she pushed at him with her hands. Kai kicked at him with legs to get him off of her and he released her for a moment before pulling her by her leg to him. "Stop! Keiji.."

Kai continued to try and fight him off as he kissed at her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist. She cried out for him to stop again, and he sighed, releasing her.

"If you want to protect my honor, I will accept your proposal." She half-shouted, her face red and hot from the struggle. "I want to wait until it's right.."

A small smile came across Keiji's face and his disposition changed. "You accept my proposal, then. I am relieved. I will oblige to your wishes."

She exhaled audibly, nodding her head. A tear rolled down her cheek. Keiji reached out and kissed her lips and she did not fight him this time. She withdrew into herself as he pulled her close to him, embracing her as if she had a choice in the matter. _"I don't have much time."_

…

 _Opening her eyes, Rin could see the flowing currents of the river. When she sat up, she looked up around, wondering where she was. "Sesshomaru?" She called out._

 _When he didn't answer, she stood up and walked alongside the river for a short distance. "Where am I?"_

 _Just then, across the river, she spied a tall, thin man with black hair facing away from her._

" _Hello! Excuse me. Sir!" She tried to get his attention._

 _When he turned, she gasped and backed away. Those eyes. The same exact eyes of the one whom she loved. But it was not him. The man wore regal clothes and had a long thin sword at his side._

 _He unsheathed the sword and jumped clear over the river in front of her. He held it out to her neck and her eyes widened. So hypnotized she was by the man in front of her, she couldn't move to run or fight._

" _It can't be you, Sesshomaru.." She whispered. "Who are you?"_

Rin jumped up out of her sleep, sweating and panting. She looked around her and recognized the room she was in as Sesshomaru's room. She sighed, slinking back down onto her back. "What a horrid dream."

"You are awake." She heard a females voice from the door. "I am glad to see that you are okay."

Rin looked and saw a young fox demon entering, a towel in her hand. She sat down beside Rin and felt her forehead. "Who are you?"

"I am Nami. I work here in the castle. It is nice to finally meet you, Lady Rin." She smiled, humming to herself.

"Please, just call me Rin. You don't have to fuss over me. But please tell me, how did I get here?"

"My Lord carried you here. He said you were very ill. Wouldn't tell me why, though." She said. "I suppose it's none of my business."

"Hm.." Rin sat up and took the sheet off of her, letting her feet dangle off the side of the bed. She looked at Nami and thought how pretty the girl was. Her vibrant red hair was braided over her bare shoulders. Tiny freckles lined her cheeks as she smiled at Rin.

"Nami, Sesshomaru has not told me about you." She said, blushing.

Feeling the hand on Nami on her shoulders, she looked into the girls green eyes. "You need not worry about me and Lord Sesshomaru. He has been nothing but a gentleman." She assured Rin. "That Ryokan on the other hand.."

"Ryokan? I think I remember.." Rin started.

Nami shook her head smiling. "At first I was afraid of him, but now I realize he is nothing to be feared."

"Where is Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"The Lord is downstairs, if you'd like to see him. He is in an odd mood, I must warn you." She sighed. "But you are his lady. Maybe you can help him."

Rin nodded. "Thank you.."

Nami stood up and made her way out of the room. Rin shook her head, and stood onto her feet. She took in a deep breath, and took notice to the changes in herself. It was nothing that could be explained in simple words. Before she had gone to the priest, she always felt a sort of aura around her. Like a spirit surrounding her as she went about her life. This feeling no longer existed. There was an uncertainty that came with this change. She found the stairs and began to climb down them silently. A weird feeling took her when she saw the hall leading to the throne room. Like she was about to find an old enemy waiting in there. She was light on her feet as she glided into the room.

There she saw Sesshomaru begin to stand at the sight of her, and she ran to him for the first time in ages. He threw his arms around her waist and held her to him tightly. He was relieved to see that she had finally come to.

"What happened?" She whispered.

"You came to me on the mountain." He recalled.

" _Sesshomaru!" She shouted weakly, stumbling over her own feet. He heard her and quickly made his way to her side. Her face looked pale, like she had been poisoned._

" _What happened?" He said, gritting his teeth._

" _I saw him.." She whispered_

" _Saw who?" He lifted an eyebrow._

 _Just then, Rin made a small sound and fell out of consciousness. Sesshomaru caught her in his arms._

" _What in the world was that?" Chimed Jaken, who had been watching from a distance._

" _She has gone through with it.." Sesshomaru said holding her. "I can no longer feel her aura. It isn't there anymore.."_

"So I brought you here to recover." He let his finger run down her face gently. "I cannot stand for you to be away from me any longer."

"I know." Rin nodded. "I know."

She pulled him down into a deep kiss, and his tense shoulders relaxed. They embraced each other for a while until Sesshomaru spoke.

"What was it like?"

Rin remembered the faces of her deceased parents, beckoning her to return home to them. The look of disappointment when she told she would not stay. Most of all, she remembered her promise to never speak of the place she had been.

"When I was a little girl, I used to think I would give up my soul to be with you." Her face looked remorse. "And now I've done it."

"I hope our sacrifices are proof of our commitment to each other." Sesshomaru said, releasing her from his grasp. She watched as he walked over to a table. On the table, there was a candle burning and a letter sitting by it. She did not know of what significance the letter was but she did not ask.

"A boy of my likeness, never to be seen." He said, and she heard a somber tone in his voice. He then held the letter over the candle and watched as the letter lit up in his hands and became ashes at his feet.

Rin felt a tear run down her face, remembering her dream. She approached Sesshomaru from behind, letting her hands fall around his waist. He took her hand in his and kissed her pale fingers gently.

A happy occasion had become somber. The only thing keeping them alight was the thought of them having eternity to spend with one another. Sesshomaru picked Rin up in his arms and she kissed his lips. They slowly made their way up the stairs and into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

…..

"Kohaku..." A small whisper made its way into his ear. "Pssst...Kohaku."

He opened up his good eye and saw two little black eyes looking at him. When he had fully awoken, he looked around. It was still very dark, but there was a small bit of daylight beginning to peak through. He looked again to the person in front of him.

"Kai.." He said.

"Shhhhhh." She whispered before taking out a small knife, sawing away at the rope that bound him to the tree. When the rope became loose, he sighed in relief, rubbing his tingly arms. "I stole this from one of the men. They will all be waking soon. We do not have much time. Come, let's go quickly."

"We need a horse." He whispered back.

"We will take Keiji's." Kai said, looking over to the horses. "But we must go."

Kohaku tiptoed over to where the horses were tied up, Kai following him. He used his shaky, barely recovered hands to untie Keiji's horse from the tree. When he finished, he turned to Kai. "I will need your help riding. I can only see out of my right eye."

She nodded as he lifted her onto the horse and sloppily jumped on behind her.

"Let's go, please." She said quietly, and Kohaku ushered the horse to move.

They rode off as quick as lighting together in the dark of the early morning.

(That is a wrap for this chapter! Stay tuned. Also, if you are into Sess fics take a gander at my new one shot An Unexpected Night.)


	26. Chapter 26: Refuge

(She's still alive! Can you believe it? Yes, I am up and running to an extent. I apologize once again for taking way too long to post this chapter. I am but an adult with a very active sometimes dramatic and very trying life. I hope you forgive me. Thanks to my readers who reach out to me to make sure I'm okay and stuff. I guarantee the next chapter wont take nearly as long as this one did. Considering you really can't beat that record, it's not a long shot. Thanks again.)

Chapter 26: Refuge

The sun beamed down onto a small hill. The thuds of horse hooves bounced off of the few trees that existed here. At first they came fast and loud, but then began to slow down. When the horse reached the top of the hill, it stopped. Kohaku, weary but awake, stepped down off the horse. He looked to the young girl that had helped him escape his captors, and saw how tired she was. She had obviously not slept at all in a very long time. He reached out for her and she slid down, letting him assist her. His hands under her arms, he could feel her fragile body. Kai's ribcage lined her skin, almost protruding. She smiled weakly at him as he released her. Her face was dirty with fire ash. His face, though less swollen, was paved with black bruises.

"Are you sure we will be safe here?" She asked him, looking at the horizon.

"We have been riding for a very long time. I highly doubt they will track us here." Kohaku assured her.

Kai took a deep breath and rummaged through the small sack at her side. A small knife that she had stolen to free Kohaku fell out and both of them knelt down to pick it up. Kai grabbed it up defensively, the look on her face said everything.

"I will need it should we get attacked." Kohaku said. "You do not trust me, then?"

"I think you are not like the other men." She said, her eyes downcast. "I want to believe it so badly. But I am afraid."

"Keep it, then." He said, trying to manage a smile. "But I promise, I will not let any harm come to you."

Kai locked eyes with him, and she felt the warmness in his presence. She knew there was no reason she shouldn't trust him other than the fact he was a man. She sighed and extended her hand for him to take it. He accepted it and placed it away at his side. After a couple seconds, Kai began to smile. It was becoming more clear to her the longer they stood there that he had meant what he said.

"I trust you." She whispered.

Kohaku curiously watched the girls movements as she began to wind down. Her blue kimono swayed a little as she sat down on her side. He took notice to the way she leaned on her arm and ran her fingers through her messy black hair. She was definitely worn, and calm enough to let her guard down around him. He slowly sat by her, cross legged. "You can sleep if you want. I will not bother you."

Her big dark eyes moved to him and studied his appearance. Kai thought he looked just as tired as she was. "Maybe it is you who should sleep."

"I've got far too much on my mind to sleep right now. I need to find out where we are and in what direction we should take from here." Kohaku said.

"It is good that you are so well traveled. I have only left my village once before; twice if you count this time."

Kohaku nodded. "I suppose you cannot go back?"

"No. They would kill me." She said, shaking her head. "As long as Lord Akio is in charge, I have no desire to return. I love his father very much, but I don't think I'll ever see him again." She twiddled her hair in her fingers. "I must look after my own interests now. I'll try not to be a burden to you as long as we travel together. You can choose to be rid of me when we find a village where I can work."

"You helped me escape from a certain death. I can hardly repay you for that. You are no burden." Kohaku assured her, running his hand across her shoulder. Her hair swayed as she turned and he noticed black ash marks in the shape of a hand on her arms and recoiled. "Keiji.."

"Oh.." Kai responded, embarrassedly wiping the ash from her wrists. "It's not as bad as it looks. I managed to keep him off of me. You got the worst of him, I'm afraid. The way him and the other men treated you.. I could hardly stand it. You two were friends once, I take it?"

Kohaku was glad that he had escaped with the girl in time. He couldn't stand the thought of a young woman like this being taken against her will. He saw her yawning and smiled. "I don't wish to discuss it. You are safe now, Kai. Go to sleep."

Kai nodded lazily, and laid her head on her forearm. "Thank you, Kohaku." She whispered quietly before beginning to doze off. The sounds of her breathing slowed after a few minutes, and he knew that she was sound asleep. Kai looked peaceful for the first time since he laid eyes on her.

Kohaku picked himself off the ground and made his way over to the horse, rummaging around for something. He pulled out the sheet that Kai had given him the other night. Draping it over her, he began to walk around the hill side, hoping he would be able to figure out where he was.

…..

It was a dismal day in the Eastern castle. Hana, taking a break form her sleeping infant, was walking around the perimeter of the estate. Her long black kimono slid across the half frozen grass. She looked to the sky, and knew it was going to snow soon. She breathed in deeply.

"Only a day more before I travel to the South with Junomaru."

" _At least there I won't have to feel as lonely as I do this moment." Her thoughts chimed in._

She looked again to the sky and saw a large black dog demon diving out of the clouds. It was Gina, and she was barreling down fast. The look in her eyes caused Hana to frown. She jumped quickly to the side as Gina crashed into the spot she had been standing. It was apparent she had come down in great anger. Hana, however, was expecting this. She watched as her sister changed form before her, her long black hair thrown about. Her reddened eyes sought out Hana's and she growled.

"What have you done?!" Gina shouted.

"Whatever are you talking about, sister?" Hana taunted.

"I know it was you! Don't deny it! I could smell you all over that room. And that little brat, too!" She was seething with anger.

 _Images flashed through Gina's mind. A small cave in the forest with the strong smell of blood. Inside, a snake demon mangled and torn apart. Goro, her faithful servant, had been killed. Around him, jugs and jars had all been broken into pieces. The remnants of his potions lie around his dead body._

"Gina, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were sweet on him. No, that's not it. He was making something for you." Hana said, "I really did feel bad for him, you know. It wasn't his fault he had to die."

Gina leapt forward, striking Hana across the face with her fist, which sent her flying to the ground. Trying to remain calm, Hana sat up slowly and looked up at her enraged sister. "I found your accursed poison. You, too, would be afflicted with a child if not for it. Are you mad that I stifled your plans? Well, I guess we are even then."

"Even?!" Gina growled.

Hana stood back onto her feet, her face was grim. "I know you planned this all along. You wanted this all for yourself. I can't believe how foolish I've been to believe it would always be you and I. We've always done everything together. But you.. you've changed. You betrayed me to get a piece of glory for yourself and now you're pushing me away."

"Someone had to take over. It couldn't have been both of us. I was convinced that if you were to become with child, Sesshomaru would make you his bride. You would become the Lady of the West and I would take my place here." Gina shook her head.

"I didn't want that!" Hana shouted, her emotions shining through.

"To hell with what you want! We can't all have what we desire.. Besides, what did you think was going to happen?"

Hana lifted an eyebrow but then her face relaxed. "Well, I guess then you will no longer have everything you desire. Lord Osamu is very handsome. It's too bad you won't be seeing him anymore."

Gina lunged forward, grabbing her sister by the shoulders. Hana struggled against her sisters weight as they wrestled for dominance. Gina slammed Hana against the wall of the castle and a shout escaped her lips. Hana pushed away at Gina with her foot and let her hands fly forward in defense. They tumbled together across the ground, fists flying. Unforunately for Hana, her sister possessed more strength so she soon found herself being toppled. She watched as her sister cocked back her fist, ready to strike her again.

Suddenly, there was a cry that could be heard coming from the castle. It was the infant. Gina looked to one of the paned windows and then back down to Hana. Slowly, she rose to her feet, releasing her sister from the ground. "I am glad to be rid of you and that bastard child of yours."

Hana wiped a streak of blood from her face and watched as her ruthless twin walked away into the distance. Stumbling to her feet, she quickly descended into the castle.

" _Curse you, Gina. I will never forgive you for this."_

….

Rin awoke from a deep dreamless sleep, dazed. Her black hair fell around her, kinky and wavy from a long undisturbed rest. Sitting up, she looked out of the window. It was day, but she had no idea what time of day it was. Her head was pounding, and so she rubbed her forehead with her hands. She felt a warm hand making its way up her stomach, past her chest and to her face. Smiling, she looked down at the long silky silver hair of Sesshomaru when she noticed something on her shoulder. She brought her hand up to it and touched it. A shock of pain surged through her body and she hissed loudly. Sesshomaru sat up quickly and held her to his chest, attempting to comfort her. When she looked back down at it, she realized it was teeth marks. It was ugly, and deep. She started to recollect her memories of the night before.

"It's still healing. It will only hurt for a little while." He assured her.

 _Like a bride on her wedding night, she had been carried to Sesshomaru's bed. Rin could not help but let out a light laugh when he dropped her onto the sheets. When he descended upon her, their lips met with great ferocity. Her breathing quickened as he began to gently pull at her obi, eager to find what was underneath. When he did, he gently kissed her bosom down to her bellybutton. She leaned her head back, in ecstasy. Long had she wanted to feel the lips of her lover on her body again. Sesshomaru was so excited to have Rin again, he forgot to be careful when he reached down to caress her hips. His claws nicked her side and she gasped._

 _Sesshomaru looked down and saw the scratch. It was not bad by any means, but he imagined it must have been a tad painful. Her skin was no match for him. The scent of blood made it's way to his nose, and began to arouse something in him. Rin pulled him down once more onto her body. She blushed as he kissed her neck. When his body found what it wanted, he pushed inside of her. She clenched her teeth. He gently rocked them back and forth. Frustration began to take hold of him. The scent of his lovers blood was driving him mad. His demon body ran hot with the desire to bite into her. She noticed the look on his face and ran her finger down his neck._

" _Sesshomaru.." Rin whispered, taking him out of his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"_

" _I am a selfish creature. I want to leave my mark on you." He said, stroking her cheek._

" _I want you to." She breathed out with desire._

 _His face turned into a frown, and he let go of her. "Do not allow me this. I care for you too much."_

 _Rin's face grew pink with frustration, and she grabbed Sesshomaru's hand, holding it to her heart. "Is it because I am human?"_

 _When he didn't answer her, she dropped his arm. He watched as she turned her naked back turned to him. He brushed her hair gently with his hand. "Rin.."_

 _She whipped her body around to face him. "I want you to do it."_

" _You do not know what you ask me for." He said, looking away._

" _Then would you rather have one of your demoness lovers?" She asked._

 _Sesshomaru grabbed Rin's arm, pulling her to him. Their eyes locked. "Don't say such things. I only want you."_

" _Show me.." She whispered. "Please.."_

 _Sesshomaru could only hold back so much of his lust. In one smooth motion, he threw her onto her stomach. Rin felt her body grow hot for him. In that moment, she knew his true nature again, and it both frightened and thrilled her. She felt his body begin to mount hers and when she felt him pulling her bottom towards his waist, she blushed. Sesshomaru's dominance was something she was shy to admit she absolutely needed._

" _You will have what you want from me." Sesshomaru said before pushing himself roughly into her. She groaned loudly as both the pain and pleasure of his love unfolded onto her. The intensity of the moment caused her to bite longingly into the sheets. He pushed again, and she gasped._

 _Sesshomaru bent down and let his hand crawl up her back, sending chills down her spine. When his hand reached the back of her head, he grasped the hair on her neckline. She moaned aloud when he did this, letting him pull her head back gently. His hips jabbed forward, and her legs shook with each thrust. They were making love in its most primal form, and neither of them would have it any other way. He leaned down again, his teeth bared. Wrapping his arms around her chest and neck, he hovered above her shoulder._

" _You ask for this, but you do not understand fully. To be marked.. It is my kinds way of showing their eternal commitment to one another." He whispered into her ear, his powerful body never skipping a beat as he continued to rail into his lover. "It will be painful, but I will attempt to be gentle."_

 _Rin turned her head to look into his eyes. She bit her lip nervously but nodded before looking forward again. He leaned down and held her to him securely as he began to sink his teeth into her shoulder. His heart dropped when he heard the awful sound that came from Rin. He withdrew his fangs and released her. She turned onto her back, hissing as she clung to her shoulder. It was done. A mating like this was very official among the dog demons. Even Izayoi had been marked by his father, much to Sesshomaru's dismay. He reached out to her, holding her as she began to calm._

" _It's over. It was never my desire to inflict pain on you like that." He said, looking into her eyes. "Don't ask for me to do anything like that ever again."_

" _It's okay, Sesshomaru." She said, reaching up to stroke his face. "I love you."_

….

It was early morning and Kagome was just beginning to start her day. She slipped on her sandals and stepped outside of her little house, stretching her arms. The cold wind gave her a bit of a jolt and she shivered, pulling a shawl around her arms. Looking behind her, she saw her daughter toddling out of the home on her own two feet. The girl was getting big, and didn't need anyone's assistance getting around. Which was both a blessing and a curse, as she was not fond of listening to her mothers instructions to stay close. The toddler was very strong headed, like her father.

"Azami, come here." Kagome said, squatting down to be at her level.

The child turned to look at her, but then quickly took off in the other direction. Kagome sighed.

"Inuyasha!" She called out. "Your daughter is running away."

A half asleep Inuyasha exited the home, rubbing his eyes. "My daughter?"

"Yes, she's a wild animal like you. I think it's only fair you should be the one to raise her." Kagome said with a smirk on her face.

Inuyasha came up behind Kagome, his hands making it's way up her thighs and to her hips, pulling her in close. "I'll show you a wild animal."

Kagome giggled, struggling her way out of his arms. "Inuyasha! She's going too far!"

Sighing, he released his wife and took a wide leap, landing in front of Azami. The girl squeaked and stumbled in the opposite direction.

"Oh no you don't." Inuyasha whispered, picking Azami up by the back of her clothing. She began to fuss and cry as he carried her like luggage back to Kagome. Seeing this, Kagome shook her head amusedly.

"Were you the same way?" She asked, watching as Inuyasha sat both himself and Azami down.

"Not quite. I was taught to behave myself very early on. My mother's family and the other villagers didn't have any tolerance for me. Although I feel like nothing I did would have made them happy."

"Poor Inuyasha." Kagome said, kissing him atop his head.

He shook his head, holding his angry daughter to his chest as she tried to free herself from his grip. "I worry she will face the same discrimination I did. She will be stronger, and more able than other children. If anyone gets hurt, they will look at her first."

Kagome looked at her daughter and then to the ground, thinking about what he had just said. Then a voice called her out of her thoughts.

"Kagome! Inuyasha!" It was Sango. She was rushing toward them, Miroku and Kirara in tow.

"Why is Kirara here?" Inuyasha wondered aloud.

"Something is wrong. I think Kohaku is hurt." Sango half-shouted when she reached them. She began to cry. "Kirara came here today with out him, distressed. He never travels without her. He's in trouble. I know it."

Kagome rushed to Sango's side to comfort her. "Sango.. are you sure? Maybe this all a misunderstanding."

"Kohaku is in trouble. I know it." She stuttered, holding her head.

"I think it would be wise to head back to his home in the old demon slayers village before we come to such terrible conclusions." Miroku said, trying to calm his wife.

"I have to go.. now." Sango exclaimed.

"You cannot go alone." Miroku interjected. "I will go with you."

"You need to stay here, and take care of the kids." She said. "I will be fine."

"If anything should happen to you.." Miroku began to argue.

"I will go with her." Inuyasha chimed in. "Besides, he's probably just sick. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Sango shook her head. "I really hope so. I need to retrieve my things."

Everyone watched as Sango hurried away.

"I've always worried this day would come." Miroku said. "We've asked Kohaku to come live in the village so many times. But he keeps himself hidden away in the old demon slayer with not so much as another person to keep him company. No one to care for him if he got sick and no one to help him should trouble come along."

Kagome put her hand on Miroku's shoulder. "It'll be okay. I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding."

"I guess we'll see about it when Inuyasha and Sango return."

Kagome looked around and saw Inuyasha holding Azami close to him. "Well, no time to waste. The sooner they leave the sooner they can return."

….

Ami had been sitting in this room for hours. The rumors of Lord Akio's threat to her life had made it's way around the castle. She took notice to how nicely everyone treated her, out of pity. She held her child close to her as he slept in her arms. She heard a knock on the door, and turned her head to the door. It was the servant Kira, with a grim look on her face.

"Still no word. I'm afraid that Lord Akio will not be found in time." She reported before shaking her head.

"Thank you, Kira. And our Lady?"

Kira shook her head somberly. This made Ami bite her lip. She sighed angrily. "Well then they shall have to live with themselves."

"Shh, Ami. The walls have ears." Kira warned.

"I surely hope she does hear me. She has no loyalty." Ami scowled.

"Who is that? Mai, is that you?" A raspy voice came from the floor.

Ami looked down at the mat and the old man lying in it. Lord Eito had been very ill, and it was not looking good.

"Mai.. Mai.." The old man grumbled as Kira left the room.

When the door closed, Ami cradled her son in one arm and soaked a towel with the other, making her way to his side. Patting his head gently with the towel, she began to speak to him sweetly. "It is just me, Ami."

"Ami.. where is my wife?"

Ami's face fell but then she lifted it straight back into a small smile. "She will be here soon, my Lord." She lied.

"And my son?"

"Away on business, I'm afraid. Would you like something to eat?"

"Ami.. sweet Ami.. he does not deserve your kind heart." Eito said, reaching out to stroke her hand.

"It is not my place to judge him, my Lord." Her eyes met with his unwillingly as she put away the moist towel.

The old man coughed. "I have tried so many times to warn my son of his own hateful and jealous ways.. and still he does horrible things. Kai. He took her away from me."

It was at this point she heard Eito begin to cry, seemingly having found some clarity. Ami hardly knew what to say, so she let him continue. "He is just like his mother. Horridly selfish. Even now, on my deathbed, she refuses to join me in my quarters."

"My Lord, do not be so grim. You are just a little sick, that's all." Ami whispered.

Eito stopped crying, beginning to chuckle. "Ami.. a man knows when he is dying."

He reached out for Ami's hand, and she let him. A tear began to make its way down her cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

"He did this to himself. But you can still do good for the future this village. You are raising my grandson, and he will be the next in line. Teach him to be graceful and giving." He said, running his hand down the back of the baby in Ami's arms.

Ami nodded, holding onto his hands as he held onto hers. "I will, I promise."

"Will you lay my grandson next to me? I want to see him." Eito smiled weakly.

"Of course." Ami said, gently taking her son from her side and lying him down across from Eito's face.

The old man looked across from him at the small, sweet face of the baby boy. He smiled widely and reached out to touch his tiny hand. Ami watched the sweet moment between them, her eyes beginning to become sore from the heavy emotions taking over her. She looked away, wiping a tear away from her cheek. She breathed in deeply, trying to keep it together for Eito's sake.

When she turned back, she noticed that Eito's eyes were closed. "My Lord?"

She bit her lip and leaned in to listen to his breath, but it never came.

…..

"A village! Over there!" Kai exploded with joy. She pointed into the distance, where there was a break in the woods. Men and women with carts of various items and food bustled about.

"Good eye, Kai. Although we do not have any money to buy supplies. I think we should go ahead."

"We can sell the horse and go by foot." Kai suggested. "We cannot afford even to feed the horse. It is wise to give him up."

Kohaku thought about what she was saying. It was true, they would not be able to keep the horse going for much longer on just water and random wild fruits. They also needed supplies for themselves.

"I really must have a bath. I dare say you need one yourself." Kai commented.

Kohaku turned to his young companion, and a smile came across his face. He scratched his increasingly unruly beard. "I suppose you are right."

"I can't wait to feel warm water on my skin." Kai said aloud. "Its been so dreadfully cold out."

"Do not call me Kohaku here. We do not need anyone to learn our names. If this Akio is anything like I assume, he's really good at hunting people down. Best not to leave a trail." He said as he steered the horse into the busy little marketplace.

When inside, Kohaku slipped off the horse and assisted Kai in getting down. They noticed immediately the weird looks from the villagers. Kai looked down at herself and realized how awful they both looked. Their clothes were both dirty and they both had dust on their faces. A stringy old man slowly made his way over to them. He had a half-smile on his face. It was very obvious that this man was in charge.

"You two look like you could use some help." He said, looking to the two unkempt young people in front of him.

"Yes.. Me and.. my wife were robbed in the woods by some vandals. Luckily we got away." Kohaku blurted the first thing he could think of.

"Oh my, that is awful." The old man gasped. "I am terribly sorry to hear that. I will do whatever I can to help you.."

"We don't want to impose, of course." Kai said innocently.

The old man nodded. "It is no burden to take care of those who are in need of help. My name is Hito. And you are?"

"Yuji." Kohaku was not a great actor, but the man did not seem to care or notice. He nodded gently.

"Follow me, my friends."

Kohaku and Kai followed the old man through the village, trying not to pay atttention to the ugly stares they were getting from the other villagers. Kai let out a sigh when the man stopped at the doorway of a large home.

"You can tie your horse there and someone will bring him to the stables." The man pointed to a post.

Kohaku did as the old man said. When he returned to the door, a woman was at the door. She was older, large and friendly looking. She let out a great gasp when she saw the two figures in front of her.

"What in the world happened?" She shouted.

"We have some visitors tonight, my dear. These two ran into some trouble in the woods. Robbers, I'm afraid."

"Oh my! I always say those woods are dangerous. Don't I always say that?" The large woman shook her head. She looked to Kai, and sighed. "Come in, the both of you."

"We appreciate your kindness greatly." Kai said, making a small polite bow as they entered. She looked sternly at Kohaku and he did the same.

"What a poor little thing." The woman stroked Kai's cheek gently. "What is your name?"

"U-Umi." She stumbled over her words thinking of a name.

The old woman smiled gently to her, placing her hands on her hips. "You two will bathe and then join me and my husband for dinner."

Not too soon after, Kohaku and Kai found themselves inside of a bath house. Kai stood there with her arms crossed and Kohaku rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"So uh.. do you want to go in first?" Kohaku asked.

"Why? So you can peep? Why didn't you just tell him I was your sister or something else?" She chided him quietly.

"We look nothing alike. They wouldn't have believed that for a moment. I promise you I will not look. See." He turned around, crossing his arms.

Kai sighed, she was much too tired from their long day to continue arguing. She began to untie her kimono, looking at his back accusingly. "Don't you dare turn around."

She shed all of her dirty clothes and climbed gingerly into the big warm bath. Bliss took over her. "The water is so warm.."

She looked at Kohaku in all of his cold dirty clothes and sighed. "Well.. I'm already in if you want to come in. But face away from me."

"I don't trust you, you'll look." He mocked her playfully.

This made her laugh aloud. She turned away as Kohaku undressed and made a big splash getting in. They sat there, back to back, rubbing away the dirt from their arms and legs. Kai splashed her face with the water, happy to finally be clean. She heard Kohaku cough and turned slightly to see if he was okay. He had taken quite the beating when they were with Akio and Keiji, as well as Akio's men. This made Kai worry for his health. But when he saw her looking in his direction, he laughed and splashed water in her face.

"You said not to look, yet you can't help yourself." He teased.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself." She shook her head, when she noticed all of the wounds that hadn't healed completely on him. "Do they still hurt?"

"A little." He said, coughing again. "I'll be healed in no time, though."

Just as he said that, he reached to rub some dirt off of his back, and hissed at a sore muscle. Instinctively, Kai turned around and began to scrub the dirt off his back gently. He was surprised by this, but did not attempt to make her stop. Kai was a little surprised with herself. She could feel all of his well toned muscles through his back, and it made her blush. She whipped back around, trying to convince herself that she had not wanted to do that.

"Thank you.." He said quietly.

She nodded, rubbing the warm water onto her arms. Again, the two were back to back. But the tone had changed. They had both become more comfortable with the others presence. Kohaku glanced back to see her scrubbing her hair. She had only just become a woman, and her body was still very small and slim. He took notice to the white marks up and down her back, and immediately knew they were scars. He wanted to ask her what she did or did not do to deserve such treatment. But he snapped his head back, knowing she would be angry with him for looking, whether or not his intentions were innocent.

"So you were friends with Lady Rin? I always liked her, but I never knew much about her."

"Yes. I met her a long time ago when she was a small girl. I was a kid myself then. Those weren't very good times, but we both made it out alive somehow. There was a time I thought we were meant for each other.. but it wasn't true." He started laughing at himself for sharing so much. "Hell, she wasn't much older than you are when I asked her to skip town with me."

"That's very romantic." Kai smiled at his story. "I know a lot of girls that would love for a man to be so spontaneous."

"Yeah.. I suppose. Though it was rather stupid. I should have known she would say no. But I was young and naive."

"I've heard from several people that she was brought up by demons. Is that true?"

"Yeah.." Kohaku thought of Sesshomaru. "It's true. Rumor has it she's still ensnared by one."

"What does that mean?" Kai asked.

"Nothing.. we should get going. Our hosts are expecting us." Kohaku said, rising up out of the water and walking over to the wall, where two clean outfits were laid out for them. He dressed silently and left the bath house. Kai bit her lip, concerned their conversation had hit a soft spot. She sighed before removing herself from the nice warm water and getting dressed.

…..

"You idiot!" Akio banged his fist down on a table. The map that was laid down bounced up into the air and back down. "How could you have allowed this to happen!?"

Keiji stood a few feet away, looking at the angry man throw his papers around with the one arm he possessed. Akio kicked the table over with his right foot and Keiji watched as one of his men tried desperately to keep everything together during the tirade. When Akio turned to face him, he lifted an eyebrow. He was not used to being talked down to like this, and he didn't like it one bit.

"The prisoner Kohaku must have escaped from his bindings and stole the girl away when she left the safety of my tent." Keiji said, but he did not believe himself. There was no way Kohaku would have any reason to take Kai with him had he escaped. He was not the type. But Akio did not know that, and so that was his story.

"You are a stupid man, Keiji. I know it was the girl and you would too had you not been so ignorant. You obviously have no experience with women, so your naivety does not surprise me. You let her out of your sight, where she released and took off with my prisoner. You are incapable of controlling even the tiniest female. Useless.."

The back of Keiji's neck began to burn with hatred for the young Lord in front of him. He did not care to keep his cool anymore. "You will not insult me any longer. I will not have it. I don't care what your title is where you are from. We are not in your territory and so you will not treat me like one of your nameless slaves."

Akio cocked his head to the side, in disbelief. "You think yourself my equal then?"

Keiji placed his hand steadily to his side where his sword laid on his hip. "I am merely advising you to watch yourself. A man in your condition should not be so rash."

"My condition.." Akio looked to his left side where his other arm should be and let out a small smile. "If you want to have it out, I will take you on without the assistance of my men."

Keiji let out a chuckle. "You are crazy, as they say. You couldn't possibly be serious."

Akio turned his back to Keiji, motioning to one of his men. Quickly, he was given his own weapon. It was a finely made sword, not as big and flashy as Keiji's creations but a sturdy and elegant piece. His hair was pulled out of his face and into a tie. When he turned back, he let his robes slip off of his chest and to the ground.

Keiji found himself disgusted by the look of Akio's missing appendage. The young lord stood there holding his sword to his side, waiting for the man to say something. His bare chest looked frozen against the cold air, but he did not shake.

"If it your wish to die, then so be it." Keiji said, taking a step back, drawing out his large sword. He felt strange about being part of a duel that seemed so unfair. He wondered if Akio's men would choose to take their vengeance on him should he kill their leader. It seemed obvious to him that would be the outcome.

Akio's lip turned up as he stepped toward Keiji. The boulder of a man rushed him, as he assumed he would. He slid to the side and let Keiji bring his sword down onto the ground. He watched as his opponent pried his weapon from the ground and turned again towards him defensively. Keiji swung his sword right at Akio's bare chest. Akio flung himself backwards to avoid it but his chest had been clipped by the large sword, which then began to bleed. He jabbed his sword towards Keiji's neck and hit him right between his shoulder and neck. The large man recoiled, holding his shoulder. A deep gash spouted. He growled and lunged for Akio again and the young Lord lifted his sword to block it. But his opponents sword was much too large to deflect, and it came down hard on his own sword. There was a large crack beginning to grow, warning him that it would break soon. Akio's face twisted as he stayed there for a moment. Just before the sword broke, he took a leap aside allowing Keiji to fall forward again.

Keiji rose and laughed. "What are you to defend yourself with now, you spoiled palace brat?"

He lunged for Akio with his sword high up in the air and to his surprise, Akio ran to him as well. Before he could react, Akio pulled a small knife from his pant leg and jammed it right between his ribcage. This caused Keiji to drop his sword. He become very still as he stared into his chest at the weapon lodged there. He yanked it out, but by that time, his heart had begun to beat slower. He had been hit in a very crucial area, and it was becoming obvious to him that the man he so sorely misjudged had the upper hand.

Akio took a few steps back, watching Keiji begin to stumble around with a small smile of satisfaction.

"You are not my equal."

Keiji's vision began to fade on him, and he grunted something before losing consciousness.

"Should we.. try and keep him alive, my Lord?" One of the men, who had become friendly with Keiji asked. "Perhaps he knows more."

"No.. just kill him. Trying to save him will only prolong his suffering. Trust me, I know." He said, studying Keiji's limp body before grabbing up the man's large sword. He lifted it, but not with ease. It was the heaviest sword he had ever attempted to carry. There was the sound of a blade being swung and then absolute silence.

"What are we going to do now?" One of the men spoke up as another applied a bandage quickly to Akio's chest wounds.

"There is one place we can go." He pushed the man who had rearranged his maps aside, and began digging through them. He pointed to an area. "There… it is where Keiji said Kohaku's sister resides. It is our only lead at this point.."

"My Lord.. " Another man chimed in.

Akio turned to see one of the messengers from his castle was standing there. He had obviously been on their trail for a bit, as he looked very tired. "What are you doing here?"

The man shakily pulled a note out from his robes and kneeled, holding it out for Akio to take. When he did, the man bowed again before backing away. Akio glared at the letter before opening it. The writing was very poor and not formal, as the people who usually wrote these notes would be. He recognized it as Ami's writing. She had been an impoverished farm girl before her village was burned to the ground, and had not done much writing or reading. After he saved her life, she swore herself to him and he accepted. Taking care of the young Lord was a full time job and there was very little time for things like learning how to write properly.

 _A thirteen year old Ami hovered over a candlelit piece of paper in a little corner of the floor of Akio's room. The tool in her hand was one that had been thrown out by the men who wrote the official documents in the castle. She had but a few drops of ink on a broken piece of glass. Dipping the tool into the ink, she smirked to herself as she attempted to write out a sentence. When she was halfway done, she looked to it with pride. When she heard stumbling outside the room, she jumped up and slid the note into her obi. It was Akio, back from his most recent trip. He never came back from anything this late at night, so she had not expected him. There was a prostitute to his side, giggling as he leaned in to kiss her neck. The woman stopped smiling as she looked to the young girl standing there. Akio turned in confusion._

" _Ami. What are you doing in here? It's late." He asked._

 _She stood there looking guilty and confused as to what to do. Akio turned to the lady at his side, sighing. "You can leave."_

 _The woman looked a little angry about this but bowed politely before removing herself. Akio turned again to Ami, and looked to the candle and broken glass. "So?"_

" _My Lord, I needed a candle and I didn't have any so I came in here to.. write. I didn't know you would be back. Forgive me." She stammered, bowing timidly._

" _Writing, huh?" He said with an interested tone. It was obvious he had had a few drinks. He sat back into a cushion, and extended his hand to her. "Let me see what has kept you up all night."_

 _Ami grudgingly walked over to him, removing the note from her obi and letting him take it. When he opened it, she looked to the floor with reddened cheeks. Akio laughed aloud and she felt her whole body burn. "I never thought my Ami would be sweet on a boy."_

" _That isn't true.."_

" _Then what is this "I love"? Surely, it was intended for a young man that has caught your eye. Of course if anyone saw your handwriting, they would be embarrassed."_

 _Ami choked back her desire to tell him that she had been thinking of him when she wrote it. But she thought it best that she kept it to herself. She shook her head._

" _Sweet Ami, you should know that I do not approve of you seeing boys or writing letters to them. They end here. Am I understood?"_

" _Yes, my Lord." She said quietly._

" _Good.." He said, reaching out for her hand, pulling her gently to him. Sinking his nose into her hair, he felt a certain possessiveness take him over. Of course he did not want any boy to have her affections. Ami was his little piece of unconditional love and admiration. She was supposed to lavish **him** with all of her attention. Like a greedy child, he kept her all to himself. _

Akio longed to go home to her for the first time since he had left. Their last meeting had been turbulent. He convinced himself that he hadn't meant to threaten her like he did. Maybe, he thought, she also knew that and was writing to ask him to come back to her. That she hadn't meant what she had said.

"Sweet Ami.." He whispered to himself before reading the letter.

 _My Lord, I know it is improper for me to write you like this, but I feel you would rather hear this from me. Your father, Lord Eito is dying. By the time you receive this letter, it is likely that he has already passed. He has never gotten over his illness, and has recently only gotten worse. The doctor cannot do anything about his illness. Your mother has hidden herself away, refusing to be out of her chambers or at his side. And so I have taken the responsibility of being there. I know your immediate return is too much to hope for, so I will not ask that of you._

 _Ami_

Akio crushed the note between his hands, bringing it up to his face to cover his expression of pain. Eito , his father, was probably already gone and he wasn't there. They hadn't been getting along much, but none of that mattered anymore. In the end, it was his Father, who he loved and had looked up to. A tear ran down his cheek but he quickly wiped it so none of the men would see it. He couldn't show his weakness. Especially now that he was officially the leader of his village. Not simply standing in for his elderly father, he was it now. Growling, he threw the note to the ground.

"Burn it. And pack up. We leave now."

"Where to, my Lord?" Someone chimed in.

"I am not going home empty handed. We will find this Sango woman, and then we can return."

…...

"Nothing. There's nothing here."

The air was cold and dry. The smell of old death hung heavily in the barren home of Kohaku. Everything had been pushed over and ripped, blood stains lined the ground.

Sango fell to her knees and traced the dried blood on the floor with her hands. She bit her lip, holding back an awful cry. Kohaku wasn't here. And he hadn't been here in a while. Her worst fears had become reality.

"Something must have happened here." Inuyasha said, putting his hands on his hips. "The place looks as if it was broken into."

"Tell me this blood on the floor isn't his." Sango stammered.

Inuyasha joined her on the floor, leaning down to take a sniff. He looked her in the eyes and she began to cry. He put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"It's not all his. I smell others. But he is not here. I do not smell a dead body. I think he was taken."

"Who would want to take him? What could he possibly have done?" She choked on her own words.

"I don't know.. I would suggest trying to follow the scent but it's so weak at this point.. I can't quite make it out." He said regretfully. "But I'm certain wherever he is, he's alive."

"I almost lost him so many times…. I can't do it." She whispered.

"You won't have to Sango." Inuyasha said, offering her his hand as he stood.. "Come on, we have to report back home."

"Just leave me. I will find him on my own." Sango said quietly.

"Sango.. Whoever it was that took your brother is obviously very powerful. If he could not fight them off, what makes you think you will be able to do it? Don't be stupid."

"I'm not stupid.." She stood angrily. "I want him found!"

"So do I, Sango, but we have to be smart about it. How many times have I hastily rushed into something I wasn't prepared for? Come on. We'll find him. But we have to be prepared to."

Sango let her arms loosen at her sides. "You're right..."

"Let's go home. We'll figure it out there." Inuyasha said calmly.

Sango nodded, and slowly made her way through the disheveled home of her brother.

Inuyasha took one last look at the place before exiting.

" _You better be alright, Kohaku."_

…

Light shone through the window, warming Kai's face. One eye opened, weary of the light. She sat up to escape it, rubbing her eyes.

" _What time is it?"_

Looking down to her left, she saw Kohaku laying there, with a small sheet over his hips. She studied his dark bare chest and his burly beard. Though a man, he slept as gently as a child. She had become fond of him over the past few days, and knew that she could trust him.

"Kohaku.." She said gently.

She watched as he slowly started to move around, and then move to sit up. "What time is it?" He asked, rubbing his face.

"It is time for Yuji and Umi to leave this place. Before they get discovered and put everyone here at risk." Kai said, half-jokingly.

"Oh yeah.. I forgot that I am married." He said, chuckling to himself.

"I think they are onto us. We aren't a very convincing couple." She said, "We need to sell the horse and find a map soon."

"Kai.." Kohaku said, taking her hand. "Do not worry."

"Don't tell me not to worry. By now, Akio has put a price on our heads. Word travels fast. He's found me before. Only this time if I go back there, it's not going to be a lashing. I'll be killed."

Kai felt as if the weight of the world had been placed on her shoulder. She covered her face with her hands, hiding her anxiety. Kohaku leapt to her side, and took her by the shoulders. He pulled her into his chest. "I am not going to let that happen. I promise you."

She let him hold her there for a moment, becoming calm in his embrace. She let her hands find his arms, and sighed. "I fear for you as well.. I don't want them to hurt you again."

He scoffed, letting her go. "I will NEVER let them take me like that again. It was pure luck and Keiji's knowledge that allowed them to find me in a vulnerable state. Maybe if I had my weapons on me, things would have turned out differently."

"Weapons?" Kai inquired. "You were outnumbered. What weapons do you have that could help?"

"I am a demon slayer, Kai. I kill monsters for a living."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "I didn't realize such an occupation existed. It must be very frightening."

Kohaku shook his head, grabbing their bag from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder. "There are times where I think humans are scarier."

…

Kagome watched from inside her home as the snow fell and landed on the ground. There was no one around but her and her daughter, who was sleeping in the corner. She warmed her feet by her small fire and smiled.

" _I would give anything to have a nice hot bath back at my old home." She thought somberly._

"Well, that's not possible." She said aloud. "What I do want now is Inuyasha to return so I can know that Kohaku is okay, as I hope he is."

She heard a knock on her door and sighed, assuming it was a sick villager. Kagome looked again to her daughter as she walked over to open it. When she did, she was taken aback. This was not one of the villagers. This was not anyone she knew at all.

"Can I help you?" She inquired, not fully opening the door.

"Pardon my intrusion, miss. I was just wondering if you happen to know a woman by the name of Sango?" The man was tall and had long, black hair and a silk robe.

The mention of Sango made Kagome jump. "Yes, yes I do. But I don't believe I've met you before."

"Alas, that is not important right now. I have something very urgent to tell her about her brother."

"Kohaku? What happened to him?" Kagome's heart began to race.

The man looked to either side of him, and then back to Kagome. "That is for Sango to know. Where is she, might I ask?"

"She's away.. but she'll be back soon. Please, I must know what is going on..." She noticed that he was still outside, getting covered in snow. "How rude of me.. come in and warm yourself. My name is Kagome."

The man let himself in, and Kagome closed the door behind him. He seated himself by the fire and Kagome took notice to how nice and well tailored his clothes were. She put out two tea cups and made her way for the kettle over the small fire.

"It's just the two of you here?" He asked, motioning to the little girl.

"Only for now, my husband is due back soon." She said, making her way back with the hot tea.

"Well, then, I will make this short. Do you know a woman by the name of Rin?"

"Yes.. she has been a close friend for a long time.." Kagome shook her head, confused as to why he would ask that. The hot tea came down in a perfect stream into both of the cups.

A grin came over the mans face. "Well, that's good to know."

Kagome put down the kettle and shook her head. "I don't understand, what does Rin have to do with this? And how do you know Kohaku?"

Studying the man, she watched as he used his left hand to pick up his tea and drink it. When she looked to his right side, she froze. There was no right hand, only robes covering his missing appendage. She looked back at the man, and her face became one of concern and also anger. It was all coming together who he was and that he did not come here to tell her or Sango anything about Kohaku.

"Oh.." He said, placing down the tea cup. "Forgive my manners. I'm-"

"I know who you are.." Kagome said aloud.

Akio smirked at her tone. He leaned forward towards her as she stared daggers into him.

"Well, then you should know we have a lot of things to talk about, Kagome."


End file.
